After an auto accident, it is important to make sure that you are following the best practices for protecting the strength of your claim for damages. Unfortunately, there are some routine mistakes that often cause auto accident victims problems.

Leaving The Scene Without Obtaining An Accident Report

Leaving the scene of an auto accident without obtaining a police report can prove to be a major mistake. This mistake is often committed after seemingly minor accidents. Yet, it is possible for these accidents to have caused far more damage or serious injuries than you originally anticipated, and if you do not have an accident report, it may be more difficult to pursue these damages. Luckily, a police officer will be able to complete this report extremely quickly once they arrive at the scene of the accident.

Admitting Fault

Throughout your discussions with the other driver or the insurance company, you should always avoid admitting fault to the accident. Once you have admitted that the accident was your fault, the defense will have a much stronger case against your claim to damages. To avoid being tricked or accidentally admitting fault to the accident, you can have all communications directed through your attorney so that misleading or poorly worded questions can be explained.

Automatically Accepting The Insurance Offer

When the insurance makes an offer for your case, you may be tempted to simply accept this settlement. However, this is often not the best settlement that you can get for the case. Attorneys that work in car accident law will be able to help you assess the full extent of your damages along with the type of settlement that can normally be expected from this type of case. Any settlement offers should be thoroughly reviewed by your legal representative. Otherwise, you might accept a settlement offer that is far below the actual costs of the damages you suffered.

Poor Record Keeping

Properly recording all of the damages and expenses that you have incurred due to the auto accident can be a surprisingly complicated task. In addition to the direct repair and treatment costs, you will also have transportation expenses, misses wages and a host of other costs. Accurately recording all of the expenses that you have incurred can be a logistical challenge, but it can be imperative to your case. A simple way to help you with recording these expenses will be to dedicate a file or folder to holding any receipts, bills, work absentee excuses or other documentation showing incurred expenses.

Contact a car accident lawyer for more help.