10 Common Mistakes People Make When Filing for Personal Injury Claims

Posted on June 23, 2023 by admin

When you have suffered an injury due to the negligence or recklessness of another party, it’s only natural that you want justice. Filing a personal injury claim is one way to seek compensation for the damages and losses you’ve suffered as a result of your injury. However, filing a personal injury claim can be complicated and time-consuming and if not done correctly, you can lose your right to make the claim. To ensure that your case is handled properly and efficiently, it’s important to avoid certain mistakes when filing a personal injury claim.

In this blog post, we will discuss 10 common mistakes people make when filing for a personal injury lawsuit so that you can feel confident in pursuing the compensation you deserve.

Call 317-881-2700 When You Need a Local Personal Injury Law Firm in Indianapolis

Top Ten Personal Injury Claim Mistakes You Do Not Want to Make

1. Not Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer: While you can technically file a personal injury claim on your own, it’s best to hire an experienced accident lawyer who can help you navigate the legal process and negotiate with insurance companies. A good personal injury attorney will also ensure that all of the necessary paperwork is completed correctly and that all deadlines are met. Failure to do so can result in you not being able to make a claim.

2. Waiting Too Long to File Claim: It’s important not to wait too long after the incident occurs to file a claim as there are time limits in filing cases. These are called the statute of limitations. Depending on where you live, this time limit could be as little as one year or two years from the date of injury, so it is crucial to begin the claims process immediately. In addition, claims against certain governmental agencies have to be made within 6 months in Indiana so it is vital to hire a personal injury attorney immediately.

3. Not Keeping Accurate Records: If you’re filing a personal injury claim, it’s important to keep accurate records of all medical appointments and related expenses such as travel costs and prescription medications. It’s also worthwhile taking pictures of the accident scene or any visible injuries that may have occurred due to the incident in order to provide evidence for your case.

4. Discussing Your Case with Uninvolved Parties: It is important not to discuss the details of your case with anyone outside of the legal process as this could potentially harm your chances of receiving full and fair compensation for your damages. This includes using social media. Do not post anything on social media during your case, as anything as innocent as a “like” or GPS check-in can be used by the opposing party to try to lower the value of your claim.

5. Neglecting to Gather Evidence: Collecting evidence is an important part of filing a personal injury claim. This includes obtaining witness statements, police reports, medical records, and any other relevant documentation that could prove your case in court. You attorney can do most of this for you but sometimes they need your help.

6. Not Considering All Potential Damages: When filing for an accident claim, it is important to consider all of the damages you may be entitled to receive, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. It’s also important to keep track of any future losses such as disability-related costs due to the accident as these can be included in your settlement amount as well.

7. Accepting a Quick Settlement Offer: Insurance companies sometimes try to offer a quick settlement shortly after an accident occurs in order to minimize their own losses. However, these offers rarely reflect the true value of your case and can lead to a lower payout than what you are actually entitled to.

8. Not Understanding Your Rights: It is essential to have a clear understanding of your rights as an injured party when making a claim. This may include the right to file a lawsuit, seek compensation from responsible parties, and more depending on your specific situation.

9. Failing to Follow Through with Treatment: To receive maximum compensation for your damages, it’s important that you follow through with recommended treatments prescribed by medical professionals related to your injury as much as possible. Failure to do so could result in discrepancies regarding the severity of your injury that could ultimately affect the outcome of your claim.

10. Not Being Patient: The personal injury claims process can be lengthy and complicated, so it’s important to remain patient throughout the entire process. This may require that you wait for medical evaluations, attend court hearings or mediation sessions, and contact various insurance companies multiple times in order to receive a settlement offer.

Get in Touch With an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Today

By understanding these common mistakes people make when filing a personal injury claim and taking steps to avoid them, you can feel confident in pursuing the justice and compensation you deserve. If you have any questions about filing a personal injury claim or would like to hire an experienced accident attorney near Indianapolis, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team here at Craven, Hoover, & Blazek P.C. at your earliest convenience. We are here to guide you through every step of this difficult process so that you can focus on your recovery.

Avoid These Mistakes If You Want to Win Your Personal Injury Case

Posted on October 15, 2021 by admin

Although personal injury lawyers are mostly responsible for navigating an accident claim, it is important for the client or injured victim to also do their due diligence and protect themselves from possibly losing their case. If you are preparing to hire an accident lawyer for your personal injury claim, continue reading to learn which mistakes you need to avoid if you want a successful outcome to your case.

Injury Claim Lawyer Indianapolis IN 317-881-2700

Common Errors Made by Accident Claimants That You Need to Avoid

Not Hiring a Lawyer and Representing Themselves

If you are preparing to make a personal injury claim after being wrongfully injured in an accident, your priority should be to hire a skilled and seasoned personal injury law firm in Indianapolis. We have the knowledge, resources, experience, and tenacity to recover the proper settlement for your damages and losses. Without the help of a well-versed and experienced accident attorney, you significantly risk the outcome of your case.

In fact, the very first error made by personal injury claimants is not hiring an accident lawyer and representing themselves instead. Many claimants who make this mistake end up settling for much less than what their case is truly worth. Just because the opposing party and insurance company is offering you ten thousand dollars as a settlement doesn’t mean that’s how much you deserve. Often, a case is worth more than triple what the insurance company initially offers.

Posting on Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram are open to the public, including anyone trying to reduce the value of your personal injury claim. Claimants often make the mistake of posting pictures and videos on their social media pages that can be misconstrued or twisted into being contradictory to their claim.

Insurance companies and opposing party investigative teams will use a claimant’s public profile activities to devalue their claim. If you were just in an accident and you are preparing to bring about a claim against the wrongful party, be sure to stay off all social media until you have spoken with your lawyer. For example, you post a family picture with you smiling in it a few weeks after your automobile collision where you were injured. A defense attorney would say: “Look, she’s not even hurt, she is smiling.”

Not Being Credible and Consistent

All claimants in an accident or injury case will have their personal history and character choices scrutinized. Opposing parties and insurance companies fervently search for gaps and alleged inconsistencies in order to prove incredibility, and thus, reduce the value of the claim. For this reason, it is vital that you remain honest and consistent with your story throughout the personal injury case.

Failing to Gather Any Evidence

Regardless of the type of personal injury suit you are about to make, it is critical to the outcome of your case to have some form of evidence supporting your claim for compensation. Pictures and videos of the accident scene, as well as witness statements, medical records, police reports, and more are vital pieces of evidence that should be collected and preserved prior to the commencement of the accident claim process.

Are you looking for a reputable law firm to represent you in your accident claim in Indiana? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free case evaluation with a seasoned Indianapolis IN personal injury lawyer you can trust. Act fast, before time runs out on your claim or evidence supporting your claim is lost. We represent injured people and the families for love ones lost due to the negligence of others throughout the State of Indiana.

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Frequent Mistakes Victims Make in Personal Injury Claims

Posted on February 1, 2016 by admin

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Have you or a loved one recently suffered a personal injury from a serious accident? In so many cases there are accidents that cannot be avoided or are simply unforeseen. We can’t escape every accident or injury that happens in life, which is why there are personal injury law firms. Personal injury attorneys protect individuals that were injured in accident that resulted from another person or entity negligence and carelessness.

When this happens it’s important for that injured individual to file a personal injury claim against the opposing or negligent party. In order to do this, one must outsource a professional personal injury lawyer to help them through the entire legal process. This process can be extremely complicated, complex, and tedious; another reason why personal injury attorneys are so important to wrongly injured victims.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim

When filing a personal injury claim, it is important to avoid certain mistakes. There are so many mistakes that people make when it comes to filing personal injury claims. Learning a few of these common mistakes can help you avoid making the same mistakes as those injured before you. Here’s a list of the most common mistakes to avoid in a personal injury claim:

• Neglecting to Document the Accident Scene
• Giving Too Much or Implicating Information to Police or Emergency Personnel
• Failure to Obtain Professional Medical Services or Attention
• Making Statements to Opposing Insurance Companies Without Legal Council or Guidance
• Rejecting Hospital or Physician Instructions and Orders
• Applying for Damages that were Never Documented at the Scene of the Accident or in Professional Medical

Facilities or Hospitals:

• Admitting or Accepting Any Degree of Fault for the Accident
• Speaking with Opposing Councils or Insurance Companies
• Waiting Too Long to File an Injury Claim
• Exaggerating or Being Untruthful about Sustained Injuries
• Hiring Inexperienced or Unprofessional Accident Attorneys

There are many other mistakes that a person can make when it comes to filing a personal injury claim as well; however, if they have professional legal counsel on their side, they can be sure they are heading in the right direction to pursue an effective and proper personal-injury lawsuit.

There are several reasons to file a personal injury claim. When you or someone you love has been wrongly injured in an accident, it can be a very emotional and traumatic time. Injured victims face lost wages, medical costs, hospital bills, mental anguish, emotional trauma, lost the ability to work, and much more. In accident attorney is there for families in times like these. They can be trusted to implement all the appropriate legal requirements in your personal injury case, as well as, prepare and facilitate all communication and litigation opposing counsel and parties.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for help with personal injury claims in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can speak with a live legal representative to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer you can trust. Attorneys, Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek are eager to answer your questions about injury claims and lawsuits in Indiana. For more information about how to file a personal injury claim in Indianapolis, call 317-881-2700 right away.

Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Filing a Personal Injury Claim

Posted on September 22, 2015 by admin

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

If you have been involved in an accident in which you sustained injury, it is vital that all proper and necessary steps are taken to file a personal injury claim against the guilty party. Unfortunately, doing this on your own can leave room for mistakes. If a mistake is made during the filing process, you can potentially be denies compensation for your injuries. Continue reading to learn how to avoid the top 3 mistakes made in a personal injury claim.

❶ Failure to Document the Accident Scene

It is understandable that many victims of personal injury fail to document the scene of the accident. A combination of shock, emotional trauma, and pain can interfere with a person’s intent to document the accident sight. Unless a victim is unconscious, it is highly recommended to take photos and video to record the happenings, locations, and other various circumstances surrounding the accident. In the case that a person is injured to the point of unconsciousness, a legal representative can help track down ambulance and police records following an accident. Having these records and documentations is a great advantage for someone pursuing legal compensation for their injuries, medical bills, and time off work. It is a full-proof method of verifying the occurrences and events of the accident, and stands solid in a court of law.

❷ Failure to Seek Medical Attention

Another common mistake people make following a personal injury is failing to seek medical attention altogether. By not seeking medical help, it ascertains that a person is not as seriously injured as they claim. This shows the court that the injuries sustained are not severe enough to receive compensation for the accident.

❸ Giving Statements Without Legal Representation

If a person is involved in an accident that caused them to sustain personal injuries, it is important for them to never give any official statements concerning the accident unless they have a lawyer present. Legal representation during a personal injury law suit is vital when it comes to apply for compensation. It is easy for a person to say something that can contradict or annul a personal injury claim in court. Speaking to a personal injury attorney before making official statements about the accident is the most important step to pursuing compensation for damages and injuries following an accident.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to file a personal injury claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorney, Daniel Craven, has several years of trial and litigation experience and will work hard to recover the full and fair amount of compensation you deserve after sustaining a wrongful injury. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we win your case. Call 317-881-2700 to schedule your initial consultation with a trusted personal injury attorney in Indianapolis, IN.

Social Media Mistakes to Avoid Following a Personal Injury Claim

Posted on August 12, 2014 by admin

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Social media is vastly popular all across the world. It can be a great outlet for personal thoughts, creativity, and emotions; however, when it comes to filing a personal injury claim, social media can be your case’s biggest threat. Once involved in an accident caused by another’s negligence, it is important to follow a certain series of steps to protect yourself.

Seeking immediate medical attention, filing a police report, never admitting any fault, and hiring a personal injury attorney are all part of the plan; but relinquishing details or making statements concerning your accident, online, is not.

Continue reading to learn some common social media mistakes to avoid so to not jeopardize your accident claim.

Personal Injury Lawsuits

Social media can quickly sabotage a personal injury lawsuit in several ways. With the new rise of various social media portals and websites, we are still learning how they affect other aspects of our lives. We must understand that social media can now be used as evidence against individuals. For example, an employer can reprimand an employee that calls in sick to work, and then posts pictures of themselves at the beach the same day. The same idea can be applied to lawsuits and trial. Social media pictures and posts can sometimes be used as evidence in a court of law. Here are the three most common mistakes personal injury victims can make after filing a lawsuit against a negligent party:

Disclosing Confidential Requisites of Settlements

Many lawsuits that settle out of court will require both parties to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This agreement is used to prevent either party, or family and friends of each party, to say anything about the opposing party. Leaking or revealing confidential terms of settlements and trial details can be illegal under this agreement. Many people do not think about their social media sites as a means of breaking such agreements, but they are indeed. It is mandatory to refrain from mentioning anything about a lawsuit or settlement, online or anywhere else.

Posting Incriminating Footage or Photography

Videos, pictures, and even blogs can be incriminating in a personal injury lawsuit. For instance, if a person is pursuing a slip and fall lawsuit after suffering a broken pelvis at work, the might not want to post a video of themselves practicing their golf swing anytime soon. The opposing insurance company or counsel will surely use this as evidence against an injury-compensation claim. Photos and pictures can also jeopardize an injury case.

Making Aggressive or Threatening Statements

It is very common for people to express negative and angry feelings online and on social media portals; however, in a personal injury case, this is a big mistake that can cost a person their case. Making threatening or intimidating statements about the opposing party is a bad idea. This is especially true for corporations. Although online social media posting is legal, it can gravely hurt a victim’s chances of recovering remuneration for their damages in a personal injury accident. It will only guarantee a case going to trial; where such videos, photos, and postings can be used against them in a court of law.

Personal Injury Law Firm

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for more information about our personal injury law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorneys Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek are highly accomplished and well-versed in personal injury law. We offer free initial consultations to assess victims’ cases and determine their eligibility for compensation. We never collect attorney fees unless we prevail for you! Trust us to obtain full and fair compensation for a recent personal injury suffered at the hands of another’s negligence. Call 317-881-2700 and discuss
your personal injury with a licensed accident
lawyer in Indianapolis, IN today.