Another Labor Day has come and gone. Labor Day is a federal holiday to honor the American labor movement and the contributions workers have made to our country. But, Labor Day is largely regarded as the last weekend of the summer. Everyone was getting away or out of town for the last hurrah of the summer, which made travel tough.
While the statistics of yesterday’s Labor Day are not in yet, according to The National Safety Council (NSC), over each Labor Day weekend, nearly 50,000 people suffer injuries in car crashes that require medical care. If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident in Massachusetts caused by someone else over the Labor Day weekend, make sure you follow the following tips in order to protect your right to compensation for your injuries and losses.
What You Should NOT Do After Being Injured in a Car Accident
In Massachusetts, if you are injured in a motor vehicle accident that was caused by the negligence or carelessness of another person, you have the right to seek financial compensation for the injuries you suffered and damages incurred as a result of the crash. There are many things you should do after suffering serious injuries in a car accident. Here are some of the important ones to consider:
- Don’t delay seeking medical treatment. First off, your health should be your number one concern after an accident. If you suffered an injury in a motor vehicle crash, you should see a doctor right away. Secondly, a delay in seeking medical attention will be used against the injured party by the insurance company to minimize the injuries. This is one of many different tactics to try and minimize injuries and pay less than they should for injuries. We understand that sometimes when people are hurt in a motor vehicle accident, they are shaken up and may not think their injuries are that serious. Seeking medical attention and following through with your doctor’s recommendations will help you recover from your injuries and also support your personal injury claim.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other insurance company. In order to be successful in a personal injury claim from a car accident, the other driver must be found to have been negligent and that his or her negligence caused the crash and your injuries. The other insurance company typically tries to get a recorded statement from the injured party to secure information to either deny the claim or minimize the injuries or damages. If they can get the injured party to say something detrimental to his or her claim, they will use it against them to minimize any money they may need to pay for compensation later.
- Don't sign any releases or waivers from the insurance companies. After a car crash, the insurance companies will be mailing you documents and paperwork related to the accident. The other driver’s insurance company will generally mail out a release for medical records. They want you to sign this release or authorization, so they can get your medical records. You have no obligation to sign a medical authorization for the other driver’s insurance company. This only allows them to go fishing around in your medical history to try and find some prior injuries or medical conditions that they can later used against you. For this reason, it is highly recommended to consult an attorney before signing anything the insurance company sends you.
What You Should Do After Being Injured in a Car Accident
While there are many things that should be done after an accident, below are some of the important ones to follow shortly after being injured in a crash:
- Take photographs. Following a car crash, be sure to take pictures. They will come in handy later. Be sure to take photographs of the damage to your car and the other driver’s car too. You should attempt to do this soon after the accident before the vehicles are repaired. The photos will be needed in the event there is a dispute as to who caused the accident. Also, take pictures of any skid marks, traffic signs or signals where the accident happened. Pictures can be used to support your claim that the other driver was at fault for the accident. Don’t forget to take pictures of your injuries, including bruises and lacerations. These will lend more credibility to your claim for pain and suffering.
- Consult an experienced injury lawyer. After being injured in a car accident, you should consult an experienced Massachusetts personal injury lawyer. An accident victim must prove that another driver or person was the cause of the crash. In other words, you must prove the other driver was negligent. For this reason, accident cases require an immediate and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the crash. This is where an experienced personal injury attorney can help. An experienced lawyer will be able to secure evidence to support your injury claim that another driver or person was negligent. Also, an accident attorney can help protect your legal rights to compensation and protect you from the insurance companies' attempts to deny or minimize your claim.
Injured in a Car Accident? Speak With an Experienced Massachusetts Car Accident Attorney
Injury claims from car accidents can present complex legal issues. If you have been injured in a car accident, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney in Massachusetts.
Mahaney & Pappas, LLP has over 40 years of combined experience representing individuals, who have been seriously injured in auto accidents. Feel free to contact us online or call us at (508) 879-3500 to discuss your accident and injuries. We will explain what your legal rights are, answer your questions and show you how we can help secure the financial compensation you deserve.