How to Increase the Value of Your Auto Accident Case

Every day in San Antonio and across Texas auto accident and trucking accidents occur. If you have been injured in an auto or trucking accident. The very first step, before calling anyone is to seek medical treatment for your injuries. If you are unable to obtain medical care then call my Office, we can help. Unfortunately, many doctor and medical providers here in San Antonio don’t want to help accident victims and obtaining proper medical treatment is not always easy. There can be hurtles in obtaining medical care.

These days insurance companies are more powerful, greedier and more difficult to work with than ever before. To obtain a fair and equitable settlement, you must seek ways to improve the value of your auto accident or truck accident.

Carabin Shaw can help you fight and win with even the toughest insurance companies.

Daily we see, first hand, insurance companies resort to underhanded tactics in order to avoid paying fair settlements. In some cases an insurance company may claim that an accident was not their insured’s fault. They may claim the policy is void or that your at fault. If that does not work, then the insurance company may claim that you were not injured or there was not sufficient impact to be injured or that your injuries were pre-existing.

At Carabin Shaw, our team of personal injury attorneys work to make sure that insurance companies don’t treat you unfairly.

The following is a compiled list of general advice to help you increase the value of your injury claim.

Not all lawyers practice personal injury law and have the experience that you need. If you were injured, you need to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Unlike general practice lawyers, the personal injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw have years of experience in fighting insurance companies.

Additionally, our Law Firm has the financial ability to stand up against even the most difficult defendants.

You need a Firm with a proven track record with litigating personal injury cases. While most cases settle without the necessity of filing a lawsuit, some proceed into litigation. In the last five years alone, our attorneys have filed and prosecuted over 500 injury and death cases.

You must also choose the right doctor. A doctor that has experience treating accident victims and testifying if needed.

Immediately following the wreck, document the crash as thoroughly as possible. If you are able to do so safely, take photos of all involved vehicles and passengers from multiple angles, photograph street signs and weather conditions, mark tire positions with chalk, and record the names and numbers of witnesses.

Documenting your injuries is just as important as documenting the vehicles; take photos of any bruises, scars, or scrapes you endured in the accident as soon as possible. This evidence can greatly improve the value of a case.

Keep all information given to you from your doctor regarding your injuries and diagnoses, and keep your own notes as well detailing symptoms and medications. The more detailed your record is, the stronger your case will be.

Some insurance companies may attempt to damage or destroy your case. Some insurance companies might try to devalue your case:

• Encouraging Delayed Treatment: Some insurers may encourage the victim to postpone seeking medical attention or treatment. This in turn can negatively affect the value of a case or cause medical issues for the victim.
• “Running the Clock” on the Statute of Limitations: A claimant only has a limited period to file an injury case in Texas, usually only two years from the date

to loss. Some insurance adjusters will attempt to delay and/or postpone resolving a case in hopes of outbarring the claim.

Don’t hold back. Your doctor needs to know about all of your injuries. Your medical records should include your specific medical complaints, the doctor’s findings, details of your injuries, and the treatment that you have received. The insurance company will base its offer partially on this documentation, and most insurance companies will not compensate a victim for undocumented injuries.

Follow your treating doctor’s advice. If the doctor tells you to come in for treatment three days a week, but you only go once a week, you might be risking your health and the value of your case.

How so? Well, if you’ve skipped appointments or treatments, the insurance company evaluating your claim may contend that if you were truly injured, you would have followed your doctor’s recommendations.

After a wreck, it’s tempting to comfort the other driver by saying, “I’m all right” or “I’m OK.” But any statement made in the aftermath of a wreck can be used against you.

The only people you should ever speak to about your claim are:

• Your lawyer and their staff
• Your doctor and their staff

At Carabin Shaw, we believe you deserve to be fairly compensated for lost wages, medical expenses, and any suffering you’ve endured due to your accident. Let us help you get the fair settlement you deserve by calling us any time at 800-862-1260.