Lake Forest Car Accident Attorney

Suffering a serious injury in a motor-vehicle collision is both physically and emotionally traumatic. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to obtain compensation for economic and non-economic damages. In some scenarios, punitive damages are also warranted. Our Lake Forest car accident attorneys can assess your claim and help you plot the way forward. We have a track record success in all stages of personal injury proceedings—from the initial settlement negotiations all the way to trial. For a free consultation, call 1-800-GO-HARRIS.

How to Use Social Media When Filing a Personal Injury Claim

Whether it’s an unexpected promotion or a life-threatening accident, the modern-day reaction is often to turn to social media. These platforms are a great way to update friends and family on life’s notable events. But if you plan on filing a personal injury claim, posting on sites such as Twitter or Facebook may do more harm than good. Insurance companies and opposing parties may be trawling your accounts, looking for any information that could be used to challenge your case. If you’re unable to deactivate your accounts, here a few ways you can protect yourself next time you go online:

• Set Your Accounts to Private: You’ll want to make your account settings as private as possible in order to make it harder for claims adjusters to pry through your personal life. Limit who sees your posts and, where possible, choose the option to prevent search engines from indexing your pages.
• Don’t Accept New Friend Requests: It sounds harsh, but the period in which your claim is pending is not the best time to seek out new connections. Only accept requests from people you personally know and trust, because someone associated with the defendant or their insurer may be trying to access your content.
• Avoid Certain Topics: It’s important to avoid discussing anything to do with the accident, your injuries, or your case until the claim is resolved. Posts you’ve made about the case could be taken out of context and used to dispute liability, causation, or damages. Even with your privacy settings dialed up, someone in your circles could still share your posts with an opposing party. It's also possible that the defense may issue a request for discovery, granting them access to your posts.
• Don’t Upload Photos: If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine all the ways a simple photo could create complications for your case. Whether it’s a photo of you at the beach or just an image of you and your kids, snapshots of life’s brighter moments could later cast a dark shadow over your case. For instance, the insurance company could use these posts to assert that your injuries are not very serious.

How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Assist with Your Case

If you have strong evidence to prove liability, you may be wondering why you need to hire an attorney. Unfortunately, insurance companies are adept at tearing apart claims and exposing critical errors, contradictions, and other issues that could prolong proceedings or block you from obtaining a reasonable settlement. Our car accident lawyers in Lake Forest will guide you through this process and help you avoid common pitfalls and missteps. Here are a few more ways we can assist with your claim:

• Estimate a Fair Settlement: While it may seem like the insurance company is on your side, you cannot rely on them to offer you a fair settlement. Every cent they pay out of their pockets takes a bite out of their bottom line. As such, claims adjusters have an incentive to undervalue or deny claims. Our Lake Forest car accident attorneys can estimate a fair settlement and use proven negotiation tactics to help you fight for reasonable compensation.

• Collect Evidence: You may feel like you’ve left no stone unturned in your efforts to gather as much evidence as possible to strengthen your claim. But it’s common for claimants to overlook critical evidence that may help them avoid or counter disputes. For instance, a nearby vehicle equipped with a dashcam may have captured footage of the incident, or the liable party’s cellphone records might help prove negligence. Our legal team will know which types of evidence to gather based on the specific circumstances of your case.

• Correspond with the Insurance Company: A claims adjuster isn’t just a bean counter; most are skilled negotiators with the ability to coerce people into making statements that could compromise their claim. For instance, in a conversation with a representative from the insurance company, you may inadvertently admit fault or downplay the severity of your injuries. These comments could be used as evidence to dispute your claim, resulting in delays or possibly a reduced financial award. Our attorneys will take over dialogue with the insurance company to ensure you don’t say anything that might harm your case.

Speak with a Car Accident Lawyer in Lake Forest Today

You can reach us 24 hours a day by dialing 1-800-GO-HARRIS. Alternatively, you can schedule a free consultation by sending a message on our Contact page.