Mistakes That Could Damage Your Car Accident Lawsuit

In sixty seconds, a lot of good can happen. A person can be born. Someone can find out that they got a promotion. In another part of the world, someone marries the love of their life.

But a lot of bad can happen in sixty seconds, too. Every minute, someone, someone in the world, gets into a car crash. And every sixteen minutes, someone dies as a result of one of these crashes. 

The point is that if you get into one of these car accidents, you definitely are in good company. If there’s wrongdoing and you feel like there needs to be a car accident lawsuit to see justice served for yourself, you aren’t alone either.

If this you’re entering into a lawsuit involving a car accident, it’s important to know the mistakes that people often make that destroy their case. Here, we’re going to tell you ten mistakes that can really harm your lawsuit so you can prevent any issues from arising.

1. Don’t Get the Wrong Lawyer!

This should be pretty self-explanatory, but common sense dictates that you should look into lawyers before you begin a lawsuit. You don’t want to end up with a public defender that doesn’t really care about your case or someone who loses in car accident lawsuits time and time again.

Do your research and make sure that you’re hiring not just a lawyer that specializes in car accident lawsuits, but a lawyer that wins those car accident lawsuits. Consult with him or her to make sure that you’re getting the best service possible.

2. Don’t Sign Your Rights Away!

Once you have a good lawyer, there are going to be a lot of forms you need to sign. This makes sense- after all, a lawsuit is a lot of work and there are a lot of formalities and legalities you need to work through.

Make sure that in signing these forms, you don’t sign away any of your rights. There can be hidden clauses and rules that are in these papers, so be sure to read the fine print!

3. Don’t Take Too Long!

If you want to file a lawsuit, there’s always a deadline. This means that only a certain amount of time can pass between the car accident and the time you decide to begin the process of suing. If you don’t file within this time frame, your case will be dismissed off the bat.

The amount of time you can take varies from state to state, but it’s always a concern. Look into this and make sure that you haven’t waited too long already.

4. Don’t Forget the Medical Stuff!

Especially if you or a passenger has been injured in the accident that your lawsuit is about, you’re going to need to declare your medical history and record of your injuries. A lot of people make the mistake of only discussing the problems that they acquired after the accident.

Don’t make this mistake. You need to declare all pre-existing conditions on these forms. If you don’t, the parts of your case dealing with injuries can be thrown out just like that.

5. Don’t Talk Too Much!

A big mistake that people involved in lawsuits make often- especially as plaintiffs- is to talk too much about the lawsuit, its intricacies, and what actually happened during the incident that the lawsuit is for. When this happens, people will twist and turn the things that you’ve said to others against you in the courtroom.

Be sure to consult primarily with your lawyer. Don’t talk too much to anyone else about the intricacies of your case- it could mean a loss.

6. Don’t Dig Too Deeply!

Let’s suppose that you already have said too much about your lawsuit to others. Let’s even suppose that you did this on social media. This isn’t an ideal situation, but it isn’t necessarily the end of your case, either.

It’s best that you don’t go digging through past posts or messages because it makes you look like you’re hiding something. Leave this up to your lawyer, who knows what to look for and what needs to be deleted.

7. Don’t Pass Judgement Too Soon!

When you discuss the accident you’re suing for with others, it’s easy to add in your own commentary, opinions, and judgement. After all, you’re only human, and you have biases and views on pretty much everything.

Especially when talking to authorities or lawyers, be careful not to give too much of this commentary. Just like when you talk too much, people will twist your words against you. Plus, you don’t know all the intricacies of the legal system, and don’t want to accidentally say something damaging to your case.

8. Don’t Exaggerate!

This kind of goes with the above point about not passing judgment, but when you’re talking to others involved in the lawsuit, don’t exaggerate or lie about what happened. Even if you don’t mean to tell untruths, exaggerating could make you look like a liar and cause your testimonies to look bad to a judge and jury.

9. Don’t Make the Wrong Case!

You’re obviously going to be spending a lot of time talking with your lawyer during a car accident lawsuit, so he or she is going to be able to help you prevent making the wrong case.

Still, it’s important that you go into your lawsuit knowing what you want to claim. Your lawyer can help you refine your claims afterward with his or her knowledge of the law’s nuances.

If you want to know more about how cases work, do a little further research. Knowing too much can never hurt!

10. Don’t Freak Out!

Being involved in any lawsuit is a stressful experience, but freaking out is probably the worst thing you can do. Not only do you want to prevent looking hysterical in the courtroom, but you also want to remain level headed so you and your lawyer can talk through logical arguments effectively.

Don’t Hesitate- Get Started On Your Car Accident Lawsuit!

Any lawsuit can be an incredibly stressful experience, but a car accident lawsuit can be even more so since people don’t know a lot about them. Luckily, there are people who have made all the worst mistakes before in their suits so that you don’t have to make them.

Now that you know what the worst of these mistakes are, click here to learn more about the filing a claim for a car accident lawsuit. This will help you know what’s to come and be prepared.

Know your rights!