If you have been in an accident and injured, it is important to know what steps you need to take next. There are many things that can happen after an injury such as physical therapy, surgery, and loss of wages from work. This can make it hard to know what to do next. Follow these steps to ensure that you are getting the money for your injuries and have a successful settlement on your case.
You should always get a lawyer to represent you
Getting compensation for your injury is a tough process. You could go it on your own, but you would be up against the insurance company and their lawyers who want to keep as much of that money as possible.
A personal injury lawyer will help you get what is rightfully yours in court and out of court settlements. They are trained in how to negotiate with an insurance company so they can get you the most money without having to go through a trial.
But even if it does come down to going before a judge, they know what questions to ask and how best to present evidence so that the jury knows everything about your case and sees how important it is for them not only compensating you for medical bills but also getting justice for all those injuries caused by someone else’s negligence
Make sure that your case is filed within the statute of limitations.
You should consider hiring a personal injury attorney to represent you. An experienced lawyer can help you get the best possible settlement on your case. His experience will also be useful in helping you decide whether or not it is better to try getting compensation from the other party’s insurance company, or whether it would be more beneficial to file a lawsuit against them in a civil court.
Consider the possibility of getting compensation from another source if you do not get a fair settlement offer from the insurance company. In many states, there is no limit on how much money you can win in lawsuit cases, so it may not be necessary to accept an unfair settlement offer if you feel that their amount is significantly low. You can ask your lawyer about this and see what he thinks is the best option for you.
Cite any medical evidence available to support your claim regarding damages due to your injury or accident such as: doctor’s notes, prescribed medications, etc. Your lawyer will use these documents to show how bad the injury was. It will also show the medical cost on your part.
Emergency room bills are a great evidence to add up to your financial claim. These documents will not only support that you suffered an injury but how bad it was and how long you were hospitalized.
If someone is at fault for causing your accident or injury, then they should compensate you financially for all your medical care, lost wages (if you missed work), and other damages that they have caused.
Be honest with the insurance company about what happened, and don’t lie on your claim or they will find out
The best way to make sure that your case gets settled is do what the insurance company asks and be honest with them. The insurance company representative must have a good reason to deny your claim so listen to their point of view and reason with them.
If you have photographs taken right away after the accident, it will help in getting more money from insurance companies because it shows that there are visible injuries on the body. Many doctors who work closely with insurance companies will not only give you a free medical evaluation but they may also be able to recommend a medical expert to help judge the case.
Be sure to get a copy of the police report that was written up after the accident happened. This can help you in helping your case because insurance companies may deny your claim if they don’t believe it is real or happen.
If possible, have witnesses who saw what really happened when you were injured write down their testimony. This could be very important to your case especially if you were the one who was hit and run.
If they offer less than what you think you deserve, don’t just accept it right away; wait until you know other people’s story about their settlement amount before deciding on how much is good for your claim because insurance companies pay different amounts of money to different people with the same claims.
Take pictures of everything in relation to the accident – including any damage done to property and vehicles involved.
Injuries sustained by a driver or passenger are often overlooked during an accident investigation. Be sure to take pictures and measurements of your injuries and seek medical attention should you feel that you need it. An attorney can help you in case of any liability issues.
Follow all doctors’ orders and prescriptions, but don’t rely solely on what the doctor has prescribed- be sure to ask your doctor for alternative treatments that can eventually lead up to full recovery.
If you have been hospitalized as a result of an accident- keep records of any medical bills you are responsible for. Collect any and all paperwork related to your hospital stay, doctors’ bills, prescriptions, etc.
Be sure to contact your insurance company right away. File an independent claim, whether the other party is insured or not.
In case of criminal charges being pressed against another person involved in the accident, request for a copy of your police report and make copies – keep all related papers including any communication that you have with officers regarding the investigation. Do the same as well in the case of a traffic violation infraction.
Try to collect any related contracts, documents and papers pertaining to the accident – in an email from your insurance agent or company, for example. Keep these emails for future reference.
Review your medical bills thoroughly- don’t be afraid to ask questions about treatment you received; doctors and hospitals don’t always include all the details of what treatment entails. Discrepancies in account may arise when the doctor has wrongfully billed for services rendered.
Keep receipts from anything related to medical treatment until after you’ve received a settlement offer from an insurance company.
As you go along, be sure to keep receipts of all medical treatment and medications. This can make a big difference when negotiating the amount of your settlement.
When working with an injury lawyer, be honest about how much money you have or how long it will take for you to get a new job after your injury. Lying makes things harder for yourself. And if your case ends up in court you may have to pay the legal costs of the other side too.
If you have a particularly bad injury, such as permanent brain damage or paralysis, it is important you disclose these facts as soon as possible because they can affect how much money you will receive in a settlement offer and the types of medical care you will be able to receive.
If you have a minor injury, but are unable to work because of your injuries, be sure to take pictures of your working area so that the insurance company knows how hard it is for someone in your line of work to do their job. The more they realize how much they need you on the job, the more money they will be willing to pay you.
If you are unable to work because of an injury from someone else’s negligence, be sure to take pictures as you return to work. This will prove how difficult and painful getting back on the job was for you and it will help support your claim that lost wages should be calculated based on full time pay rather than a percentage calculation.
