Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Danbury is a beautiful city known for its diversity. It was rated as the second-best city to live in the United States by USA Today in 2015. Unfortunately, just like every other city, Danbury has its share of accidents.
According to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, Danbury saw 1,174 aggressive driving crashes in 2022. Those crashes involved four fatalities and 372 injuries. For a city with roughly 85,000 people, these numbers sure are high.
If you’re unlucky enough to be involved in an accident in Danbury, fret not. The personal injury attorneys in Danbury will work tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve.
But lawyers can only do so much.
As a victim, you have the responsibility to not interfere with or make mistakes in your personal injury claim. Failure to fulfill this responsibility often comes with consequences.
Here are some mistakes you should avoid in a personal injury claim.
- Not hiring a lawyer
- Not collecting evidence
- Ignoring immediate medical attention
- Ignoring the statute of limitations
- Accepting an insurance company’s offer
- Excessive social media activity
Not hiring a lawyer
You may be known as the most self-dependent person on the planet, but you’ll still need the services of a lawyer for a personal injury claim. That’s because the expertise of a lawyer is second-to-none.
A Danbury personal injury lawyer will know the local laws like the back of their hand. This makes them a reliable aide when filing and processing a personal injury claim.
Not collecting evidence
If your injuries aren’t serious enough, consider taking pictures or recording videos of things you consider evidence at the accident scene. This includes
- Your injuries
- Property damage
- The surroundings
- The at-fault party’s relevant information (like a license plate number or insurance information)
This evidence will come in handy when proving your personal injury claim. Failure to do so may even lead to the denial of your claim.
Ignoring immediate medical attention
Regardless of whether you suffer any injuries, you must visit a hospital and get a checkup done. Seeking immediate medical attention is vital for two reasons. They are:
- Treating injuries caused by the accident
- Diagnose injuries that don’t show symptoms immediately
The hospital visit also legitimizes your injury. Plus, you get receipts to show that you spent money to treat injuries caused by the accident. Both are considered strong evidence in a personal injury claim.
Not seeking immediate medical attention often downplays the incident, leading to a lower settlement.
Ignoring the statute of limitations
Connecticut laws state that, for felonies, the victims have 5 years to file a claim after the crime is committed and 1 year for misdemeanors. Serious crimes like murder and first-degree sexual assault don’t have a statute of limitations.
If you don’t initiate your claim process within the specified time (5 years), you’ll lose the right to seek compensation.
Accepting an insurance company’s first offer
Insurance companies are for-profit organizations that prey on people when they are vulnerable. When you’re recovering from an accident, you will have a lot of bills to pay. Not to forget the injuries and property damage you have suffered.
At times like this, an insurance adjuster struts in, like some kind of savior, and offers you a paltry amount as compensation. This amount will not be even remotely close to the compensation you deserve.
Accepting this offer brings your personal injury claim to an end. Yes, you’ll receive money. But remember that you were scammed into accepting an amount that was much less than what you were supposed to get.
Excessive social media activity
A victim’s social media activity is often used as a defense by insurance companies and legal representatives. They show the victim’s social media posts to prove that the injuries weren’t serious enough to justify the requested compensation.
There are also chances that the victim will be accused of lying for compensation if they’re caught bragging about the expected compensation.
