If you’ve been injured in a Florida accident and are looking to file a personal injury claim, you want your case to be as rock solid as possible. This means avoiding big mistakes that can blow up your personal injury case and tiny missteps that lead to less compensation or drag out the process. Some of these common mistakes are obvious, and some might be surprising, but all of them should be avoided to find success in your Florida personal injury case or lawsuit.
- Missing Medical Appointments: Because so much of your compensation often relies on medical bills and injuries, skipping doctor or rehab appointments can weaken your claim significantly. If your recovery matters to you—and it definitely should—make every effort to attend each appointment, getting help from your friends, family, or attorney if your injuries make it hard to do so. If not, insurance companies will argue that your injuries are either 1. not severe or 2. not something you are taking seriously.
- Providing Inaccurate Medical History: You may think that concealing pre-existing conditions or previous pain can lead to bigger payouts, but it will always make your claim look dishonest and eventually backfire. Notably, aggravation of prior conditions due to an accident can still warrant compensation. Always share the entire truth with your lawyer and healthcare providers to avoid credibility issues and secure fair compensation.
- Ignoring Medical Advice: If your doctor places activity restrictions on you or details how you need to recover from your injuries, follow those instructions carefully and don’t take them for granted. It will help you recover faster and prevent insurance companies from checking social media or even hiring private investigators to catch inconsistencies in your recovery story. For example, if you’re advised not to run but post a picture from your morning jog, it can be spotted by the opposing side and hurt your case.
- Inconsistent Accident Accounts: Memories can often become blurry in the chaotic aftermath of an accident. But despite this reality, changing your account of events can cast doubt on your reliability. Document everything you can right after the incident—notes, photos, witness information—to keep your story straight. A consistent narrative will make your claim much more credible to a judge or jury.
- Posting on Social Media: We’ve already touched on how social media can provide proof of other mistakes. Still, one of the most significant general mistakes claimants make is oversharing details or photos on social media. Even a harmless post like, “Feeling much stronger today!” can be taken out of context and used to argue that your injuries aren’t severe. It’s best to postpone posting on social media entirely while your case is active to avoid any of these issues.
- Speaking Without Legal Counsel: Anything you say can be used against you later in negotiations or court appearances, even if it seems like an innocent conversation. Always work with an experienced personal injury lawyer before making statements to opposing parties, insurance companies, or investigators to ensure your case remains as strong as possible.
- Ignoring Attorney Advice: On a similar note, your attorney’s job is to guide you through your complicated personal injury case, so you should heed their warnings and trust their advice. Many of the recommendations you will hear during initial consultations will look and sound like the concerns we are raising now in this blog. Trust your attorney’s experience—they’ve handled many cases like yours and know the strategies that lead to the best outcomes.
Remember, even if you avoid all these legal pitfalls, it is much more challenging to secure fair compensation for your injuries without experienced legal representation. Contact Probinsky & Cole today to learn how our team can help fight for what is right after your accident.
