After an Accident: The Two Biggest Mistakes People Make

Your health is your act of self-respect. You matter. Even when it’s hard. Especially because it’s hard.

➤ Therefore, there isn’t much an accident law firm can do if you refuse to pursue a personal injury claim.

Going back to the calls where they had an accident and got hurt, but all they want is to recover money for bike or car repairs.

TL, DR: Avoid the Two Biggest Mistakes People Make After an Accident

Think of your health first and the fact that you don’t want to be left in charge of this bill. 🩺⚕️

Don’t shortchange yourself. Don’t suffer unnecessarily because you didn’t take your recovery seriously.

➤ Say yes to what IS necessary. Put your health and your life first.

We know you care about your health. But you feel life is overwhelming after a vehicle accident.

We want to remind you: You deserve to heal fully. And we are here for you.

If you need a referral to a doctor, we’ll find the right one for you. We’ll make sure you don’t have to pay them until your case has been won.

We don’t want you to just “get back to normal.” We want you to move forward with confidence, health, and the compensation you truly deserve for these injuries caused by an accident that was not your fault.

🏥 After an Accident: Overwhelmed, in Pain, and Just Wanting It Over

➤ You just had an accident. Your car may need repairs or may have been totaled. You need a new one. 

The insurance adjuster is breathing down your neck. You are trying to work and find means of transportation. This is already a nightmare, and you are hurt and don’t feel well.

---

You hope the aches and pains you are feeling will go away soon. You realize that the insurance adjuster was not your friend after all. Their offer won’t cover a third of the car repairs, and you may still be making payments on that vehicle.

---

☎️ You call an accident attorney in Long Island or the Bronx. And you call a few more anywhere near you.

But none of them want to take your case. Why?

📌 In the first place, let’s state the obvious. Accident attorneys are really called personal injury attorneys because that’s the area of the law they specialize in.

When someone suffers an injury in an accident that was someone else’s fault, they come to the rescue.

And they take your case if they truly believe they can win it for you. To prove how much they believe in it, you don’t pay anything unless they win. They get their fees as a percentage of the settlement or award at the same time as you do.💰💰

➡️ But if you don’t want to claim for your injuries, what’s left to fight for is the payment for your car repairs.

If a lawyer takes their fees from the insurance settlement for car repairs, would you have enough left to pay the mechanic or the body shop? 😮

---

➤ Let’s look at it from another angle. Can you afford to hire an attorney and pay an hourly rate? Only to get the insurance to pay you more to have your car repaired? Probably not, as you would need money you don’t have right now.

Accident lawyers don’t want you to get injured. But if they work for you, they need to get paid.

And there is no money left over after you pay the body shop, the mechanic, or the dealership if you need a new car.

Your bike, truck, or car still needs repair, and your pain is increasing. You are hurting. You’re worried about missing work, losing your job, or falling behind on bills.

A personal injury lawyer will make sure you get the best doctors and the best medical care. And that it’s all covered by the insurance company.

Are you thinking that maybe it’s best to take care of your health and have a lawyer fight for the compensation you deserve now? 🧳⚖️

The Two Biggest Mistakes People Make After an Accident

⚠️ Mistake #1: Only worrying about the car or vehicle

Many people call law offices saying, “I don’t want to claim for my injuries. I just want my car fixed.”

By now, you know the truth:

If you don’t file a claim for your injuries, most personal injury lawyers can’t take your case. But our attorneys will help negotiate with insurance if we are handling your personal injury claim.

👁‍🗨 You should not fake injuries just to land a personal injury attorney in New York. But you should have yourself checked and make sure you truly are ok. If there’s a time to do this, it’s NOW.

We know how you feel at the mere thought of attending doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, and treatments that could extend for months. But your health is at stake.

And auto insurance companies are known for lowball offers. If they don’t outright deny your claims.

You deserve more than just a fixed bumper. You deserve your health back. You deserve your life back.

⚠️ Mistake #2: Abandoning medical treatment

Even if they do start treatment, many people stop too soon. Why?

• The pain does not get better fast enough. 
• You are tired of waiting rooms. 
• You believe that all you need is rest. 
• You are afraid of missing work. 
• The bills are piling up.

We get it.

And on top of that, you’re exhausted. Doctor visits, physical therapy, insurance calls, and trying to get through your day. It feels like too much.

▻ But we’ve seen people who stop early, and they end up in worse pain later. And stuck with medical costs they didn’t expect.

Imagine the risk of needing surgery a few months later. The lost income, the healthcare expenses, the stress, and the pain. This can affect you physically, financially, and emotionally.

Most people just want it to be over. We’ve seen it countless times.

They don’t want to “make a big deal” out of it. They want their car fixed, their schedule back, and their life back. But proper treatment follow-through means so much more than a larger settlement.

Nobody is rushing you to finish your treatment. Take your time, but do it.

Does this mean having to space out physical therapy visits? Discuss it with your doctor. Your mental well-being is important.

Your health is too important to ignore. Even if you’re worried about time or stress, following through with proper care protects both your body and your case.

But that rush to “get back to normal” can cost you much more than time.

🚑 Injured but Not Convinced Yet?

A client of ours was rear-ended while she was stopped at a red light. The insurance totaled her car. Not for any other reason than it was more expensive to fix it than to compensate her for the loss.

She thought she was physically fine and headed home after the accident. She fell asleep, and when she woke up, she could not see out of her left eye. She had a vitreous hemorrhage that took a year to heal.

💡Did you know that concussions don’t always show up right away?

Her back and neck pain demanded lots of physical therapy. And to top it all off, she noticed she became insecure and afraid to drive. That would have gotten her into another auto accident. This is dangerous.

She made a smart decision. If she was going to get better, she would have insurance pay for EMDR therapy to get past her post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

A few sessions and she was a Formula 1 driver! The therapy had her in control of her vehicle in a few weeks. And she did not have to spend a dime out of her own pocket.

And yes, she did receive a very favorable settlement.

Don’t Skip Care. Your Health and Your Future Are at Stake.

We’ve seen people walk away from accidents thinking they were fine. Only to start having serious pain or complications weeks later.

• Someone stops seeking medical attention. Only to continue to suffer from pain and limited mobility affecting their work and their life.
• Some learn months later that they’ll need expensive treatments or surgery to resolve their issue. Because they did not have physical therapy done on time. All out of pocket.
• Someone who thought their injuries were “just muscle soreness.” Later found out they had internal injuries or neurological problems that didn’t show up right away.
• Others ignore emotional trauma. Only to develop panic attacks that make daily life miserable or dangerous to themselves and to others.

❗ What happens then? If you didn’t have any treatment, you will not be able to hold the at-fault party responsible for those medical costs later.

And guess what? Now you are stuck paying for it all out of your own pocket. You could be left with thousands in medical debt on top of recovery.

You deserve to heal properly. Don’t sell yourself short.

Should I Have Surgery Just Because My Lawyer Says So?

It depends.

❓Is your lawyer simply repeating what the doctor said, based on medical necessity?

Then, pay attention.

Doctors sometimes say, “If this treatment doesn’t work, you may need surgery in the future.”

Your lawyer can fight for recovery of future medical expenses if your doctor documents it properly.

Surgery or other health treatments could be necessary to get you back to maximum medical improvement (MMI). Work with your lawyer and your doctors.

Give them what they need—appointments, follow-ups, or tests—so your Suffolk personal injury attorney can prove to the insurance company that it’s real and necessary. And it must be included in the settlement amount.

❗Is your lawyer recommending surgery just to increase your claim’s value?

➤ That’s a red flag.

No attorney should ever pressure you into unnecessary surgery “just to get more money.” Or even suggest you undergo surgery.

If that happens, RUN. Find another lawyer immediately.

This is about protecting your health and your future. Not about putting yourself at risk to increase the value of the claim.

Need Help After an Accident in New York or Long Island?

The best personal injury lawyers don’t just help you recover compensation. They help you get the best care, with top doctors, and coverage for what you need from the at-fault party’s insurance.

Clients who followed through got the care they needed and recovered without the crushing stress of medical debt.

It’s not about rushing the process. It’s about doing it right.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, or Long Island, we can help you navigate your case and make sure you get the treatment you need and deserve.

• Free Consultation
• No Fees Unless We Win
• Over $700 million million recovered
• Named among New York’s best personal injury lawyers by Super Lawyers every year since 2010
• Bilingual: English & Spanish
• We Fight for Your Full Recovery

☎️ Talk to Liga De Justicia Injury Lawyers today.

📍Serving: Clients across New York City and Long Island, including neighborhoods and towns such as Islip, Hempstead, Brentwood, Hauppauge, Riverhead, Sag Harbor, Hampton Bays, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, and the counties of Suffolk, Nassau, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and New York (Manhattan).

¿Prefieres leer este artículo en español? Los 2 peores errores tras un accidente que comete la gente en Nueva York