How To Protect Your Rights When Accident Injuries Seem Minor

 Posted on January 05, 2017 in Personal Injury

After an accident, if you have no pain, does this mean you were not hurt and therefore should not make a claim? Not at all. Delayed onset of pain is common after accidents. Some kinds of pain can take weeks or even months to set in. For example, a back injury caused by a car accident could develop for weeks before hurting. Some joint injuries can gradually change body movements over time, and therefore take a while before causing pain.

A key issue in many personal injury claims is proving the accident caused an injury. Proof can be harder when there is no pain or when it takes a long time to develop. But lack of pain right after an accident does not necessarily mean there was no injury. Therefore, if you get in an accident, take steps to protect your rights, even if you don't feel pain right away. Here are some of the key things to do:

• Be careful what you say about your injuries. Things you say at the accident scene and elsewhere can be used against you later. So try to avoid saying things like "I wasn't hurt," until all the facts about your injuries are known.
• Get a prompt exam by your doctor. Your doctor can evaluate the extent of your injuries and identify those that may not be immediately known.
• Keep a diary or other written record of any symptoms you feel at any time.
• Don't settle your case too early. Insurance companies often try to get accident victims to settle early for a small amount of money and to release all claims, even those they don't know about yet. They do this in the hope of avoiding having to pay the person for injuries that don't get discovered until later.
• Speak with your lawyer. Your lawyer can advise you about all possibilities including the many kinds of injuries that may not be apparent at first. Your lawyer can also advise you on other steps to take to protect your rights to make a claim for injuries that are discovered later.

By taking fast action, consulting your doctor and lawyer, and being careful not to settle too early, you can protect your rights to recover money for all your injuries after an accident, including those that do not become known until later.