According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), in 2020 there were 341,331 vehicular crashes in the state, resulting in 3,347 fatalities and 212,535 injuries.
In other words, about two out of every three crashes resulted in an injury, some minor, some serious, some resulting in death.
If you are involved in a crash and do not feel any immediate pain, you may feel you’ve scraped by and just have to deal with any damage to your vehicle. What if the injury and its effects don’t show up until later, maybe days or weeks even?
How will the insurance company respond when you want to add an injury claim? It unfairly might suspect you are playing the system for additional compensation and try to challenge your new assertion.
To avoid your own insurer doubting your veracity, get medically examined after every accident, even in the absence of any visible injury or internal pain.
If you find yourself in this situation – injured in a car crash but challenged by your insurance company for a late claim – contact me at the Glober Law Firm if you are in or around Jacksonville or Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Augustine, or really anywhere in Florida.
I have been dealing with insurance companies and their adjusters for more than 20 years, and I know how to press your claim to obtain the compensation you deserve.
COMMON CRASH-RELATED INJURIES
Neck and back injuries are among the most common injuries resulting from car crashes. You may not immediately realize that your neck or back has been strained, or you may feel that it’s just transitory and will go away. That’s even more reason to get an immediate checkup after an accident. You may wake up days later and find it difficult to even move.
Other types of injuries, like a broken bone or a head wound, are more noticeable and painful. However, even these injuries may become more significant than you think. For instance, a minor head scratch can be an indicator of more serious physical problems such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or nerve damage.
Traumatic brain injuries often don’t reveal themselves immediately. You may later suffer from symptoms such as difficulty thinking or focusing, anxiety, feeling tired all the time, nausea and headaches, insomnia, and even mood swings, and you may not be sure where they came from.
REASONS TO SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION
Seek immediate medical evaluation after an accident to give you peace of mind and to determine if any treatment is needed. Further, since serious conditions such as a traumatic brain injury might not manifest themselves until days or weeks after the accident, you can get as early a start on evaluation and treatment as possible.
Seeking immediate medical attention also allows you to have as much documentation as possible to submit along with your insurance claim. If that documentation indicates the possibility of an injury which might not manifest until later, your insurance company can’t claim that you are suddenly fabricating a claim to receive more money. This is especially true if you are making a claim against the other, at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Though Florida is still a no-fault auto insurance state, the law does allow claims against the other driver in the case of serious injuries. The more medical documentation you have dating from the time of the accident, the more likely you are to prevail in your claim.
Even if you are just making a claim against your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy, the insurance company’s claims adjusters likely will attempt to lowball or deny your claim, including doubting your veracity if you failed to indicate the possibility of injury when reporting the accident after it happened. It is important to anticipate the response of an insurance adjuster and stay one step ahead by submitting as complete a picture as possible of how you were affected by the accident.
FOLLOWING THROUGH ON YOUR TREATMENT PLAN
If your medical exam results in a treatment regimen prescribed for you, whether it includes medicines, physical therapy, or other medical interventions, be sure to follow through. If the insurance adjusters find out you’re skipping your prescribed treatments, that will give them even more reason to suspect you’re inflating your injuries.
Following the treatment plan is not only essential for your good health, but also for substantiating your insurance claim.
GET THE EXPERIENCED LEGAL GUIDANCE YOU NEED
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident in or around Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Augustine or throughout the neighboring counties, do not hesitate to call us at Glober + Glober. We can answer the claims adjuster’s questions and negotiate for a just settlement.
If you go it alone, the adjuster may use tactics leading you to contradict yourself or otherwise trick you into saying something they can use against you and your claim. Plus, the first settlement offer from the insurance company likely will be as low as possible. I have extensive experience negotiating with insurance adjusters in injury cases, and I will protect your interests and will not let the insurance companies take advantage of you.
There is also the possibility that you may have the basis for a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver. I can listen to the circumstances of your accident, investigate, and determine if a lawsuit is in order. I will then represent you aggressively and fight for the best possible compensation package. Remember, a lawsuit allows you to seek compensation not only for economic damages but also for noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering.
Call immediately for a free consultation. I proudly serve clients in Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, Duval County, St. Johns County, Clay County, Nassau County, and throughout the State of Florida.
