You should build your case with as much evidence as possible to force a car insurance company to accept liability and do the right thing. You should also usually avoid accepting the first settlement offer insurance companies make. It may be purposely low in the hopes that you’ll accept it. That offer also might not cover all of your medical costs, leaving you to pay for a percentage of your bills.
A Modesto car accident attorney can help you gather all of the evidence available to prove who caused an accident. It’s a great defense when a car insurance adjuster tries to shift blame to you. A skilled lawyer will also quickly determine what you’ll need to fully recover physically and financially. Your attorney demands that level of support on your behalf.
How Can I Strengthen My Case to Earn Compensation After a Modesto Car Accident?
Having evidence at the ready when you file a car accident claim can both protect your claim and force insurers to pay out more for your recovery.
Your attorney will fully investigate your accident, but your lawyer can’t be there right after a collision. The most powerful evidence will be found at the scene, but it’s usually cleaned up or towed away not long after a crash.
If you are feeling well enough and the scene is secure, you can often strengthen your case by collecting as much proof of what happened as possible.
Try to complete these important tasks:
- Get help on the way – Call 911. Ask for an ambulance if you or anyone else is hurt. Allow EMTs to check out every pain you have and go to the hospital if necessary.
- Cooperate with the Investigation – Give Modesto police or the California Highway Patrol the full story of what happened. Alert them to any careless or reckless behavior on the part of the at-fault driver. Your lawyer will obtain their collision report when it’s done.
- Take Plenty of Photos – Collect photos of the scene and any traffic signs and lane markings that have something to do with what happened. Show the damage to vehicles. Take photos of any visible injuries.
- Get witness contact information – Your lawyer will get testimony from these helpful eyewitnesses.
- Keep records – Maintain copies of important documents such as medical records, bills, and repair estimates related to the accident.
- Don’t say too much to other drivers or their insurers – Don’t admit fault to the other driver and don’t imply that you aren’t hurt. You may be wrong on both counts, but an insurance company can use statements like “my bad” or “I’m fine” as a reason to deny you support. Be cautious on the phone with insurance adjusters. Don’t give them a recorded statement they can twist to use against you later. Give them only basic information and then refer them to your attorney.
- Avoid posting about your accident on social media – Your posts can be used against you and taken out of context.
- Visit your own doctor — Make a doctor’s appointment in the days that follow, even if you’ve already been to the hospital. Make sure every lingering pain and any new pain is checked out and documented on medical charts. Follow your doctor’s orders. You want to demonstrate that you’ve done everything possible to heal. If another driver was to blame for the accident, a car insurance company will have to pay for every medical invoice you rack up.
Turning all of this information over to your attorney will make for powerful ammunition when an insurance adjuster tries to point the finger of blame at you. All medical evidence will be helpful if an insurer wants to try to downplay your injuries to cheat you out of full compensation.
Contact a Modesto Car Accident Attorney
If you are being blamed for a car accident you didn’t cause or you’ve suffered a serious injury because of another driver’s mistake, you should speak to an attorney. A skilled lawyer can often set the record straight and earn you much more than you could earn by filing a claim yourself.
Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Modesto to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a real Modesto car accident lawyer. We want to hear what happened to you. We’re going to answer your questions and make sure you are prepared for the insurance tactics you’ll face so you don’t forfeit valuable support.
There’s no obligation when you talk to us, but if you feel we can help you get the most out of your injury claim, you’ll need no upfront money. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you receive.