How to Avoid Common Personal Injury Mistakes When Filing a Claim in Texas

At Charles J. Argento, our experienced personal injury attorney in Houston understands how stressful it can be to pursue an insurance claim on your own after getting hurt in a crash with a negligent driver.

The at-fault driver’s insurance company is going to do everything they can to demand the injured party provide a compelling argument, supported by concrete evidence, that their policyholder was negligent in causing the crash.

Then the insurance company will delay, undervalue, or even deny your claim outright.

Insurance companies are only interested in preserving their bottom line and will find any reason to avoid paying a claim, leaving the injured party with mounting medical bills, lost wages, and out of pocket expenses.

Here are a few ways to help avoid common personal injury mistakes when pursuing a claim in Texas, so you can pursue a successful financial outcome.

Personal Injury Mistake #1: Waiting Too Long to Pursue Medical Care

The only way you can pursue a successful personal injury claim is to seek medical care immediately after your car accident, truck crash, slip and fall, medical malpractice, or at-work injury occurs.

When an injured person waits to seek medical care, it tells the insurance company — and a potential jury, should the claim go to court — that the injuries were not severe enough to immediately seek treatment.

If your claim does go to court, it may be difficult to get a physician to testify on your behalf, since they may not be able to tie the injury to the incident, which will certainly harm your chances of success.

Personal Injury Mistake #2: Missing Medical Care Appointments or Avoiding Treatment

Without an injury, you do not have a personal injury claim.

Once you seek medical care for your injuries, it is imperative that you go to each doctor’s appointment, therapy or rehabilitation session without fail.

Certainly, things may come up and you may have to reschedule an appointment. But unexplained absences will give the impression that you either do not care about getting better or are not injured enough to need continued care.

Like the previous mistake, missing medical appointments may result in your doctor failing to testify on your behalf, and their testimony is crucial to your claim’s success.

Even if the pain has subsided or you begin to feel better, you must follow all your doctor’s orders, so missing appointments do not become a damaging factor in your case.

Personal Injury Mistake #3: Attempting to Hide Your Medical History

Whether you believe it is relevant or not, your medical history is an important part of your current treatment plan.

You must tell your physician about any previous injuries, diseases, or illnesses, so they may accurately diagnose your injuries and create a treatment plan that works.

Be honest when filling out your medical history form, so the insurance company cannot point to any type of deception occurring when evaluating your claim.

At Charles J. Argento, we partner with our personal injury clients to pursue the best outcome for each of their cases, which means protecting them from the insurance company while providing the legal resources they need to make informed decisions about their claims.

If you were injured in a traffic accident while seeking medical care, or at work in Texas, contact our experienced personal injury attorney in Harris County at Charles J. Argento & Associates today to schedule a free consultation by calling (713) 225-5050 or by contacting us online to discuss your case.

 

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