These are the major do’s and don’ts after a Hutchinson auto accident that you should remember.
DON’T:
- Fail to get the medical treatment that you need. You will most likely have personal injury protection benefits if you are involved in an auto accident, even if you don’t have health coverage. The minimum amount of coverage that will likely apply is $4500 under Kansas law, with some PIP benefit plans far exceeding the statutory minimum depending on the applicable automobile insurance policy. Medical conditions related to the trauma from a car accident can be deadly if left undiagnosed. It’s better to be safe than sorry if your accident caused any pain or jarring to your body, and you might as well take advantage of the PIP coverage if applicable, as in most cases.
- Talk to the liability insurance adjuster for the other driver’s insurance company. The adjusters are well-trained to settle your case early, for as little compensation as possible, through developing a rapport. The adjuster will usually require that you provide a statement of the facts. The facts are often obtained through leading questions designed for you to give an account of the facts that are not helpful to your case for compensation. Insurance companies, or their lawyers, will often use this statement against you later in the case if you realize that you have undiscovered injuries or find the settlement is unfair.
- Settle your case without talking to an experienced personal injury lawyer. The insurance company counts on the fact that you are less likely to know the value of your case and will never offer you what your case is worth. You can get a basic valuation of your case and find out about many angles under the law you may not have anticipated, with the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer.
DO:
- Take pictures and write down as much as you can about the accident and your injuries. A picture is worth 1000 words, and you can never have too many pictures of the accident scene. Both the vehicles and scene of the accident are important to have documented with pictures because sometimes the police photos of the accident scene are not kept or otherwise don’t get the complete view of the accident.
- Tell your medical care providers as much as you can about the accident, the mechanism of injury, all of the places on your body that you are experiencing pain, limited range of motion, or other symptoms related to your injuries. The details will never make it to the medical records if you don’t provide them. The insurance company will not believe your claims to have had greater injuries than are documented in the medical records.
- Keep as many of your medical bills and medical records as you’re able to collect. A trail of your medical bills and records could be valuable to look back on; it never hurts to save that kind of information.
- Call Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys of Hutchinson for an initial consultation and review of your case at no cost. Having handled thousands of cases over the years of practice between the lawyers in our firm, we now only handle injury cases. We will use our experience and expertise to give you an honest evaluation of your case.
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