2 Mistakes To Avoid After Suffering A Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) In An Auto Accident
Posted on: 25 April 2023
After being involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, you may have sustained severe injuries to your brain, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Whether you suffered from a severe concussion, brain contusion, or hemorrhage, the loss of consciousness and the trauma done to your brain has left you with lasting medical symptoms.
Since you will need prolonged medical care and will be out of work for an undetermined amount of time, you may be seeking compensation for the injuries from the accident. Besides neglecting to hire a lawyer to represent you as soon as possible, there are a couple of other mistakes you need to avoid after suffering from a severe TBI in an auto accident that you are seeking compensation for.
1. Speaking with and Negotiating a Settlement with the Insurance Company Without Legal Counsel
One mistake that you should avoid after suffering from a TBI is to speak with the insurance company without having consulted with an attorney first. When the insurance company tries to speak with you and get a statement, they may seem sympathetic, but they may be looking for small bits of information from you that they could try to say contradicts any previous statements.
Even if they are not trying to get out of paying you, they may try to negotiate a settlement. Since accepting would eliminate their responsibility for future medical expenses for your brain injury, you should not accept any terms they offer, and instead, have your lawyer take over the negotiations.
2. Missing Too Many Doctor Appointments and Therapy Sessions After Your Claim Is Filed
Another mistake you should avoid is missing too many doctor appointments and therapy sessions after your claim is filed. Even if you are tired or hurting, you need to make sure you make as many of these appointments as possible.
If you miss too many appointments, the insurance company may try to say your brain injury is not as severe as you claim. Along with making the appointments, make sure to have the doctors' and therapists' notes sent to your lawyer so they can document your attendance and progress.
When you have sustained a TBI in a car accident, you should never speak with the insurance company yourself without seeking the advice of a lawyer because they may try to use information you missaid against you as well as try to sway you to settle for much less that you deserve. You should also make sure that you attend all medical and therapy appointments associated with your brain injury and request that copies of the reports be sent to an attorney. If you have not yet done so, contact an auto accident attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation to discuss the accident and your brain injuries.
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