New Year’s Resolutions Your Personal Injury Attorney Wants You to Make (and Keep)

New Year’s Resolutions come in all shapes and forms.  Bulman Dunie’s lead personal injury attorney, Dan Shaivitz, offers three simple Year’s Resolutions that can protect you if you are the victim of an auto accident in 2022.

Resolution 1 — Take Great Care of Yourself

We can all do things to make us a little healthier this year.  That is a typical New Year’s Resolution.  But it is important for another reason that unfortunately, I see frequently.  In general, my clients who experience the best and quickest physical recoveries tend to be the ones who were fit and active before their accidents.  In addition, judges and juries tend to be more generous to accident victims whose fitness and active lifestyle were affected by the negligence of another driver.  This does not mean you have to be a marathoner to be credited by a judge or jury for disruptions to your lifestyle by the negligence of another.   It can be as simple as being unable to take your daily walk with your dog, play sports with your kids or grandkids, or unwinding at the gym.

Resolution 2 — Review (and Improve) Your Auto Insurance Policy

Many of my clients unfortunately would like to revisit the policy limits on their auto insurance policy after an accident happens.  It is too late.  You are stuck with the insurance coverage you had at the time of the accident. You cannot go back in time and increase your insurance coverage retroactively.  Insurance companies saturate media marketing advertising low rates.  What insurers aren’t telling you is that you are probably cutting your insurance coverage and your coverage limits when you want a great rate.  Those rates may be good for your monthly budget, but the lower coverage limits and lack of coverage will really put a dent in your bank account if you are the victim of an accident.  If you are in an accident, the last thing you want is to have to pay medical bills and lost wages out of your own pocket which will take money out of your hands when you need it most.  Read more about a simple change you can make to improve your insurance coverage here.

Resolution 3 — Change the Way You Think About Personal Injury Claims

Insurers and special interest groups spend billions of dollars to make the public (and potential jurors) believe that, absent a car being mangled beyond recognition in an auto accident, a serious injury must not have happened.   The reality is that people can be seriously injured in very minor accidents with little or no real property damage. Only a modest impact can cause major soft tissue and muscle injuries. Accident victims can feel the effects of those injuries for months or even years later. The law exists to compensate victims of accidents. If you have been injured in an auto accident in a way that caused any change to your daily living or your ability to work, even if you were able to drive your car away, you should at least consult with an attorney about your potential claim.

We hope you have a healthy and safe 2022!

If you would like to discuss how to implement these resolutions or a potential injury claim, please contact Bulman Dunie. Dan Shaivitz, lead personal injury attorney, can be reached at (301) 656-1177 or dshaivitz@bulmandunie.com.