Shock and Adrenaline Can Hide Many Car Accident Injuries
After a crash, you may be shaken up in more ways than one. First, you’re hurting. You may have seriously injured your back, neck, hips, legs, and more.
Second, you’re reeling emotionally and mentally from the collision. Everything from the sound of squealing tires to the impact of the collision to the disorientation you experienced afterward can take a serious toll on you.
The psychological impact of a crash goes beyond just the mental aspect, too. Your brain and body may be overloaded with adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress-related hormones and chemicals for hours or even days after a crash. Those chemicals can make it more difficult to tell where and how severely you are injured, as they can mask pain, inflammation, and immobility.
It’s important to get checked out by a doctor right away after a crash. This helps link your injuries to the crash and prevent any internal injuries for getting worse. But because you may be in shock after a crash, you should schedule a follow-up appointment a few days later.
A follow-up visit can allow your doctor a chance to evaluate you more thoroughly and determine the full extent of your pain and disability when they aren’t being masked by adrenaline and cortisol. This diagnosis will be extremely important when it’s time to seek compensation for your medical bills and lost wages.
At Skolrood Law Firm, we work hard to help injured victims get the money they’re owed after crashes. Contact our Roanoke car accident lawyers today for a free consultation.
Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
If were recently injured in a car crash and are reading this blog, chances are you’ve long since left the accident scene. Even if you made mistakes at the crash scene that could hurt your claim, that doesn’t mean you’re ineligible for compensation. An experienced Roanoke car accident lawyer can help you maximize your chances of receiving full damages, but it’s vital that you avoid making further missteps while your claim is being built.
The three most common mistakes people make after they’ve left crash scenes include:
- Not reporting their crashes to their insurers.
Even if you have no intention of filing a claim against your own auto insurance, you still need to report it to them. Failing to do so within a short time after your crash can make you ineligible to receive compensation from them, which you may need depending on the other driver’s insurance coverage.
- Discussing their injuries or cases on social media.
Insurance adjusters are always looking for ways to reduce or deny claims. Social media platforms make it easier than ever for them to find “gotcha” evidence to use against injured victims, including descriptions of their injuries that conflict with their claims, pictures of them participating in activities that they should be too injured to do, and more.
- Waiting too long to call a lawyer.
Virginia’s statute of limitations for injury and accident claims is two years from the date they occurred. But you shouldn’t wait nearly long enough for time to run out. Waiting even a matter of weeks after your crash can make it harder to win your claim because evidence may be harder to find and witnesses may be more difficult to track down. Call a lawyer ASAP.
After a crash that wasn’t your fault, you need experienced legal representation. Call Skolrood Law Firm today for a free consultation.
Should You Ever Accept the Insurance’s Company Settlement Offer After a Crash?
Most people have heard of injured victims having a hard time getting compensation after accidents that weren’t their fault. So if you’re ever involved in a crash, you may be surprised to find out that the other driver’s insurance company is offering you a settlement right away. It’s rare, but it happens. When it does, what should you do?
First, it’s important to note that insurance companies work hard to protect their profits. If they went around paying every victim fair compensation immediately after accidents and injuries that weren’t their fault, they would quickly go broke. Instead, they find ways to reduce or deny claims.
When insurance companies offer settlements unprompted, it often means that the facts of the cases look very bad for their clients and their bottom lines. By offering unprompted settlements, they can minimize their financial losses. That’s because when victims accept settlements, they can’t ask for more compensation later. They can only get the amount of money that was in their initial settlements.
At Skolrood Law Firm, we’ve seen this tactic play out many times. We’ve heard from countless injured victims who accepted those fast settlement offers, only to later realize they needed more money. Unfortunately, they signed away their rights to ask for more money when they accepted.
Simply put, never accept the insurance company’s initial offer without knowing exactly what your claim is worth. The best way to do that is to have an experienced Roanoke auto accident lawyer on your side. Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll help you learn the value of your claim.
