When you are embarking on a personal injury case, you’ll want to discuss with your lawyer what you’ll want to accomplish during your case.
If you’ve experienced a personal injury, you probably want to know how to maximize a personal injury claim to get the best case possible. While you can never guarantee results, when you have more knowledge, you empower yourself to get the best possible results. Once you have established your safety, you can start to take some other steps that will help you improve your case.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
There are many types of personal injury cases that people experience, and if you have experienced these types of injuries, you may be entitled to damages.
- Car accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bite accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Defamation
- Product liability
- Premises liability
- Wrongful death
These types of accidents can all cause serious physical and mental damage, and when that happens, a personal injury lawyer can help people understand their rights.
Communicate Well
Communicating with other parties in the accident is an invaluable tool. After the accident happens, you need to exchange information with other people involved. If it is a vehicle accident, you should also promptly notify your insurance company. These are the kinds of things that you might not want to deal with after a serious accident, butbeing as communicative as you can be is a valuable part of creating a strong case going forward. You will also need to communicate with other parties, such as police officers who will want to create case documentation about what has happened to cause a personal injury.
Seek Medical Help Right Away
If you have been in an accident of any kind, especially a car accident, you need to make sure that you seek medical help, even if you don’t think you are badly hurt. Many people think they are okay, so they don’t seek medical help. This can be a mistake because sometimes you don’t recognize pain until later. When you think you could be injured after an incident, it’s smart to seek medical attention so that you can get any injuries on the record right away. You need to show that the injury is caused by the incident, so the sooner you seek medical help, the better.
What Documents Do I Need in a Personal Injury Case?
Having your documents organized can do a great job of building your case and ensuring that you get the best results available to you. Unfortunately, the documentation in personal injury cases can be overwhelming, especially when many other parties, like insurance agencies or corporations, are involved. When you are keeping your documents, it’s useful to keep them in one location so that nothing gets lost. Staying as organized as possible with these documents will save you a lot of headaches. You’ve already got enough going on, and you don’t need to get lost in documents. When in doubt, save the documents, even if you aren’t positive it’s important.
Insurance Information
If you are dealing with an accident that deals with an insurance agency of any kind, you need to make sure that you keep track of all documentation with those agencies. Make sure to have your insurance card handy, have the information of any other insurance agencies involved, and save any communication you have with insurance agencies.
Financial Forms and Bills or Invoices
Keep track of the money that is spent and lost related to your accident. You’ll want to save your medical bills or bills related to other expenses, such as repair bills or mental health treatment bills. You should also have W2s or other financial records that can speak to lost wages.
Official Reports
Make sure that you have a record of all official reports. These reports can include 911 dispatch call records, accident reconstruction reports (which can be completed through law enforcement but also through your legal team), police reports or reports from other law enforcement agencies, and reports by private investigators if applicable.
Physical Evidence
Physical evidence can help show what happened during an incident. This type of evidence generally includes damaged items or clothing that you wore when the injury happened. Even small items can be useful evidence in cases like these, so don’t get rid of items related to the accident without consulting your lawyer.
Medical Reports
Keep your medical records handy when you are involved with a personal injury case. Document the initial assessment and further appointments related to your injury. You can also keep reports related to mental health treatment or specialist treatment.
Documentation From the Scene
Don’t be afraid to take pictures, videos, and audio recordings when you are on the scene to document what has happened. Of course, you should always put your safety first, but when you have the chance to document from your own perspective, it’s helpful to do so. This documentation can include photos of your injuries, property damage, people at the scene, or the scene itself.
Notes and Statements
Keep any other statements and notes that are made. If there are witness statements or victim statements, have them ready. Additionally, your journal or other written notes about what happened may have a role in your case.
Relevant History and Research
In certain cases, the other party’s history may be relevant. For example, in a dog biting case, a dog that has a history of biting people is a relevant piece of history.
Set Goals With Your Legal Team
When you are embarking on a personal injury case, you’ll want to discuss with your lawyer what you’ll want to accomplish during your case. Your lawyer will help you create goals within the realm of possibility and will keep you updated on the progress of these goals throughout the case. Knowing what you want to get out of your legal experience can help shape your expectations and understand what you’re up against.
The First Offer Isn’t the Last Offer
One reason it helps to have a lawyer is that a lawyer knows how to negotiate well. The first offer that you get is never going to be the last offer. Other parties want to pay as little as possible, but with further negotiation, you can get a stronger settlement that helps you reach your goals.
Add Up All the Costs
Part of making a maximized personal injury case is determining all the damage that has been done. People often don’t realize the extent of damages that they can add to their personal injury case. Some damages may include:
- Loss of wages and future wages
- Medical expenses
- Expenses for mental health services
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
A strong personal injury law firm can help you determine these costs and figure out how much damage your personal injury has caused.
Find a Columbus Auto Accident Lawyer
If you believe that you have a car accident injury case, it’s important to find a lawyer who can help you understand your rights.While you can try to manage your case alone, research widely shows that people get better settlements and trial results when they seek the guidance of an experienced lawyer. When you hire a car accident lawyer, you can focus on healing as your lawyers focus on getting you the compensation that you are owed.
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