Protecting Your Rights After an Accident

When you are involved in an accident, you have the right to be compensated fairly by the person or entity that caused that accident to happen. However, you need to make sure that you take the right steps to fully protect your legal rights in the aftermath of serious or fatal injury.

At Freeman Injury Law, we vigorously fight for the rights of accident victims to ensure that they are provided with all of the compensation and benefits that they are entitled to under Florida law. Our West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers are strong advocates for our clients and we do everything possible to advocate for you so you do not have to bear any of the financial costs of your injuries.

Contacting a personal injury attorney as soon as possible is the single best way to protect your rights after an accident occurs. However, there are also a few other general tips to keep in mind in order to make sure you do not inadvertently do anything to jeopardize your right to compensation. For example:

• You should always call the police after an accident. Sometimes, the person responsible will try to convince you to leave the police or insurance companies out of it and will promise to just pay for your damages. Do not do this. If it later turns out your injuries were more serious than you thought, you will need the evidence from a police report to help prove what occurred in the accident.
• You should always get prompt medical attention after the accident. Injuries that seem mild can turn out to be very serious, and you may sometimes suffer internal injuries when you are not aware that anything is wrong. Getting prompt medical attention can save your life, and can also protect your right to make an accident claim. If you delay getting treatment, the other party can use this as proof that you are exaggerating your injuries or could suggest that the injuries happened from something not related to the accident.
• You should always get the names and phone numbers of witnesses at the accident scene, and take pictures at the scene. Sometimes, the other person will deny responsibility after the fact, even if he admitted he was responsible for the accident at the scene. In this case, it will be your word against his unless you have witnesses that can help to testify as to what really occurred.
• You should refrain from commenting on your injuries or on accident responsibility at the accident scene. Don’t apologize for the accident or say anything that could indicate fault or that could indicate the severity of your injuries. Again, later developments could indicate that the accident was more serious than you thought and your initial admissions could be used against you.
• Take pictures of your injuries. These pictures can be used to help show the extent of the damage you suffered.

Finally, the single best thing you can do to protect your rights after an accident is to contact a lawyer right away. A West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers will work with you every step of the way to get the evidence you need and to deal with the insurance companies to get you the money you deserve.

If you or a loved one has been in an accident, contact Freeman Injury Law today for assistance and advice. We will be there to help you and to protect your rights under Florida law.