Minor Car Accident Injury – Can You Represent Yourself?

UPDATED: Jul 19, 2023Fact Checked

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Jeffrey Johnson

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Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

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UPDATED: Jul 19, 2023

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UPDATED: Jul 19, 2023Fact Checked

If you were involved in a car accident and sustained only minor injuries, you may be tempted to brush the event under the carpet and hopefully, get on with your life. Unfortunately, unless a doctor tells you that your injuries are nothing to worry about and they will not come back to haunt you later, sweeping the accident under the rug might not be in your best interest.

For starters, your car insurance policy may not cover any expenses related to what you consider “minor car accident injuries” if you neglected to inform the insurance company about those injuries at the time they occurred. This means that if any bodily injuries or even damages to your car that may take time to worsen, cause any serious problems for you later down the line, it is unlikely that the insurance company will pay for them. Next, a small claim is not necessarily “not worth the trouble.” Auto insurance companies understand how much a small claim is worth. From claims adjusters to the clerks involved in the accident claims process, auto insurance professionals are in a much more powerful position to negotiate with the other parties involved than you are. If negotiated properly, a small claim can lead to a large settlement.

If an auto insurance claim gets complicated, for example, a minor neck injury turns out to be whiplash, or negotiations become stagnant, you may want to hire an experienced auto accident attorney. An attorney working on a contingency fee will receive a percentage of the settlement, but it may be worth it if the attorney wins a larger settlement or helps you obtain a settlement faster.

Case Studies: Minor Car Accident Injuries

Case Study 1: Mary’s Neglected Injuries

Mary was involved in a minor car accident and sustained what she believed were minor injuries. She decided not to inform her insurance company about these injuries. However, as time passed, her injuries worsened, causing her significant problems. Unfortunately, her insurance policy did not cover these expenses because she failed to report them at the time of the accident.

Case Study 2: Maximizing Settlement With a Small Claim

John was involved in a minor car accident and initially considered it not worth the trouble. However, he realized that auto insurance professionals have more negotiating power than individuals. With proper negotiation, a small claim can lead to a larger settlement. John successfully negotiated his small claim and obtained a substantial settlement.

Case Study 3: Hiring an Attorney for Complicated Claims

Sarah suffered a minor neck injury in a car accident, which was later diagnosed as whiplash. As negotiations with the insurance company became stagnant, Sarah decided to hire an experienced auto accident attorney. The attorney, working on a contingency fee, was able to secure a larger settlement for Sarah and expedite the process.

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Jeffrey Johnson

Insurance Lawyer

Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

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