Harm can find you anywhere. You may get involved in a motor vehicle accident as a passenger or pedestrian, or even slip and fall due to a slippery floor. Harm can be in the form of using a defective product, or you may be a victim of medical negligence where the doctor failed to give proper diagnosis or didn’t inform you of known risks associated with a certain drug which you ingested and caused you harm.
Many people find themselves in such situations without knowing what to do next. To get full compensation for the injuries sustained, it’ll be important to contact and hire personal injury lawyers like Raphaelson & Levine; check their profiles here.
But before you get to that point, there’re certain steps you’ll need to take that’ll help to build your case as you pursue compensation:
- Gather And Preserve Evidence
If you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident, the first thing you should do is call law enforcement who’ll carry out a preliminary investigation regarding the accident, interview parties and witnesses, inspect the vehicles involved, and examine the accident scene. After gathering all that information, they’ll write a report. This report will be important when you pursue compensation for the injuries sustained.
Without the report, the party at fault can deny that the accident ever happened or even worse, if the accident occurred, or they weren’t involved.
If the harm is a result of a slip and fall, determine the cause of your fall and if possible, take a sample of the substance that caused your fall. This could be something like a torn carpet otherwise, take photos of the scene. Don’t forget to take the names and contact information of the witnesses. Make sure you document the events leading to your fall without leaving any detail. Also, make sure you notify the relevant person like your employer if it’s a work-related accident or the owner of the property.
If you happen to be a victim of a defective product, make sure you take pictures of the harm caused if possible, and also of the product. Keep the product safe together with all the documentation that came with the product such as instruction manuals, packaging, and even the receipt issued upon purchase. These will be used as evidence.
- Seek Appropriate Medical Attention
Irrespective of the kind of accident you’re involved in, you should always seek immediate medical attention. This shouldn’t be the time to worry about the expenses, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re feeling pain at that particular moment or not. The more you wait, the less credible your case will be when seeking compensation. Insurance companies always prey on such instances. They’ll argue that your injuries happened in different events other than the circumstances you imply or that they’re not as serious, because they didn’t warrant immediate medical attention.
Medical documents will help build your case. When being examined initially after the accident, make sure you give all information, even the slightest pain that you think isn’t worth mentioning. Describe your injuries in detail. Your medical records or report will be relied upon when your injuries are being assessed for compensation. Claiming injuries that aren’t in the report will be opposed.
You should also insist on having proper diagnostic examinations like x-rays and MRI scans done immediately after the accident. Again, this isn’t the time to think about the expenses being incurred, concentrate on your health. These tests may reveal other injuries that can only be discovered by such examinations. Make sure you obtain all the documented results after the tests. These documents apart from helping you in treatment will also help you build a water-tight case.
- Hire A Lawyer
Lawyers are indispensable in such matters because they have the expertise required. Even so, you should do a background check and thorough research, so that you settle on a lawyer who’ll best champion your interests. You should choose a lawyer who specializes in the field associated with your injury.
Your lawyer will help you eventually get the compensation you deserve either through a lawsuit or by negotiating with the insurance on your behalf. People who’re represented by lawyers tend to receive higher compensation than those who represent themselves.
- Keep A Diary Documenting Every Detail
Immediately after an accident, start documenting every single detail related to the accident. Start by describing the events that led to the accident, your experiences, all the injuries sustained, people you interacted with during this time, the hospital you attended, and treatment received. Write down your emotions, days you missed work, and expenses incurred.
Document all your medical visits and appointments related to the accident, visits to your lawyer’s office, phone calls, and what was discussed. You should also include the people who helped you when you couldn’t do things by yourself, etc.
Keep in mind that lawsuits can take months or even years before they are settled. As time goes by, so do the events fade from your mind. Your testimony in court will be, and by the time you’re required to testify in court, you may not recollect the events well if you never documented them.
Conclusion
Getting a lawyer to take over your compensation case shouldn’t be a reason to stop treatment and medical appointments. Your body will need to get back to shape even as the case proceeds. Just remember to keep all medical records safe as they’ll be used to progress your case.
Court cases can take a long time to conclude, they may drag on for years. Be psychologically prepared for the long wait. Be patient.
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