Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident

Answer:

In speaking with my clients in the past, I’ve noticed that they’ve made a lot of mistakes after they’ve been involved in an auto accident. One of the biggest mistakes they make is not documenting the accident, either by not calling the police officer or not getting the other driver’s insurance information. Another mistake they make is not seeking medical attention right away. One of the things you need to do is go to a doctor and make sure you’re given some kind of treatment for your injuries because if you don’t, the insurance company’s going to use that gap in treatment later on against you.

Ironically, the biggest mistake people make is not after the accident. The biggest mistake people make in Pennsylvania is when they purchase their automobile insurance. In Pennsylvania, you have the option of purchasing limited tort insurance and full tort insurance. A lot of people make the mistake of buying limited tort because it’s cheaper. However, if you have limited tort and you’re involved in an automobile accident, you are limited in making a claim for general damages unless you suffer a serious injury. A serious injury, unfortunately, is not defined so you’re going to have to argue with the insurance company about whether you’ve been seriously injured.

If you have full tort, you can sue for general damages no matter what kind of injury you have, and you don’t have to prove that you have a serious injury. The insurance company is going to argue that you’re not seriously injured and you’re not going to be able to be compensated. When you purchase insurance, make sure you purchase the full tort option. If you have purchased insurance already, call up your insurance agent or your insurance company and tell them you want to switch over to full tort. For the few dollars you save with limited tort, it’s just not worth it if you get in an accident.