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Seven Easy Steps To Destroying Your Personal Injury Claim

Originally posted on September 29, 2014 by gattilaw. Reposted with permission from The Gatti Law Firm

1 – NOT GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION YOU CAN FROM THE DRIVER THAT HIT YOU. Name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, photos of both cars, insurance information. DO NOT THINK YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY WILL HAVE IT ALL. Often your own insurance company will not have the information, or will refuse to divulge it to you or your attorney citing privacy issues.  Yes, your insurance company will damage your claim by protecting the bad driver that hit you.

2 – GIVING A STATEMENT, RECORDED OR OTHERWISE, TO THE OTHER INSURANCE COMPANY. Your only obligation to the at-fault driver’s insurance company is to let them know where you are choosing to take your car to be repaired so they can pay the bill. That’s it! They will say that they need the statement to evaluate your claim and pay your medical bills. Well, they are not paying your medical bills, your insurance company is via your No-Fault PIP coverage pursuant to Oregon Law. They will say they are going to “close your file” if they don’t get a statement. So what! They will re-open it as soon as your attorney tells them to.

3 – NOT SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION THE DAY OF THE CRASH, OR AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING DAY. Many victims of car wrecks think that the pain and limitations they experience following a crash will just go away in a couple of days. This may be true for a small fraction of such victims. For the vast majority of victims, putting off treatment only puts off healing and recovery.

4 – ONLY DISCUSSING YOUR MOST SEVERE INJURY WITH YOUR DOCTOR.  Many people injure multiple parts of their body in a car accident, and usually, one of those areas will be more painful than the others. Unfortunately, too many car accident victims will only tell their Doctor about the area that hurts the most, then after a few weeks when that area calms a little, they decide to let the Doctor in on the other areas that are hurting. Not only does this prevent your Doctor from properly treating you, it allows the bad driver’s insurer to claim that those other areas are not related to the crash.

5 – POSTING ANYTHING ABOUT THE WRECK OR INJURIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Just don’t do it. Nothing good will ever come of it.

6 – LYING, EXAGGERATING, MINIMIZING, OR OTHERWISE BEING ANYTHING LESS THAN TRUTHFUL WITH YOUR DOCTORS, YOUR ATTORNEY,  and ANY INSURANCE COMPANY.

7 – NOT CONSULTING AN OREGON PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY ASAP.  DON’T GET ZERO, HIRE A HERO.  Insurance companies are multi-billion dollar Deathstars with buildings full of lawyers and experts, all bearing down on you with bad intentions. Do not be taken advantage of and intimidated by these insurance bullies. The sooner you get a warrior on your side the sooner you’ll get the insurance benefits you are owed, and the peace of mind that you deserve.

For more information regarding Personal Injury Claims please contact The Gatti Law Firm. For help with injuries you may have sustained, please contact Greenway Chiropractic (503)643-0156 to schedule an exam today.