Austin Car Accidents 101 – Austin, TX – Steven C. Lee & Associates

Did you know that a person is injured in a Texas car accident every two minutes? If you’re one of the countless people injured each year, you might be eligible to collect damages from the other driver’s insurance company. Your chances of a successful settlement or lawsuit are largely based on your actions after the accident. Avoid these mistakes, so you’ll be in a position to collect damages.

Mistake 1 – Not Reporting the Accident to Law Enforcement

You need to call law enforcement if you’ve been in an automobile accident in Austin, even if you think it was just a minor fender bender. When you contact law enforcement, an officer will come to the scene, take statements, and file a police report. The police report can be used as evidence when you attempt to collect damages after the accident. If you fail to file a police report, the other insurance company will argue that it wasn’t a serious accident and you don’t deserve compensation.

Mistake 2 – Failing to Seek Medical Attention

You should get evaluated after a car accident, even if you don’t notice symptoms immediately. Often, symptoms from injuries appear later. For example, you might experience headaches, neck pain, shoulder problems, back issues, or abdominal pain days or even weeks after the accident. By going to the doctor right away, your doctor can start a file right after the accident. Then your provider can continue to follow you and add to the file every time you seek treatment. If you decide against treatment right away, the insurance company can use that against you when seeking damages.

NOTE: If you did require treatment for your injuries and a physician set specific guidelines for you to follow, be sure to follow those exactly. If the opposing insurance company discovers that you disobeyed specific doctor orders, they may try to reduce your compensation or settlement amount. Or worse, they may argue that you deserve no compensation at all.

Mistake 3 – Admitting Any Degree of Responsibility

Never admit any degree of responsibility after an Austin car accident. Even stating that you were partially responsible can hurt your chances of collecting damages. Texas car accident laws are very complicated, so you might think you’re at fault when you aren’t. Instead of admitting fault, let an attorney investigate the case for you.

Mistake 4 – Talking to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company

An adjuster from the other driver’s insurance company might reach out to you to get a statement. The adjuster might seem friendly, causing you to feel safe. However, the adjuster’s sole purpose is to save the insurance company money. He or she will accomplish that by getting you to admit fault or divulge other damaging information. Instead of talking to the insurance company, route all the calls through your personal injury attorney. This is the easiest way to protect your interests after a car accident.

Mistake 5 – Accepting the First Settlement Offer

If the other driver was grossly negligent and caused the accident, the insurance company might be quick to offer a settlement. The company wants you to take a lowball settlement, so the case will disappear. Don’t make the mistake of accepting the first settlement. You can likely get more money with the help of Steven C. Lee & Associates.

Get Legal Help After an Auto Accident

Avoiding these mistakes will make it easier to collect the damages you deserve after an automobile accident. You also need to reach out to a personal injury attorney like Steven C. Lee & Associates. Steven will protect your interests and help you collect money from the other driver’s insurance company.

Sources:
https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2019/01.pdf