Many personal injury cases are lost because the plaintiff simply does not have enough evidence to prove that the defendant is responsible for the injury. If you ever become injured on someone else's property or due to what you feel is someone else's neglect or recklessness, it's important to start acting right away. Specifically, make sure you do these four things as soon as possible, so that filing (and hopefully winning) your personal injury case goes more smoothly.
Go to the doctor.
Do not wait several days to see if you feel better before seeking medical attention. If there is any chance you'll be filing a personal injury claim for costs related to an injury, head to the doctor immediately. If you wait, the defendant's lawyer may argue that there's no way to prove the injuries your doctor documents are due to the incident -- you may have sustained them in the days between the incident and the doctor's appointment. You may even have trouble finding a personal injury lawyer who will take your case if you wait too long to seek medical attention.
When you go to the doctor, make it known that you may be filing a personal injury claim, and request that all findings are documented as precisely as possible. If you already have an attorney lined up, you can have the doctor's office send the medical reports (and receipts) straight to your attorney's office.
Start a journal of your symptoms and healing progress.
Write down your symptoms the day you are injured, and continue making notations on a daily basis as your symptoms change. Having this written record will come in handy if you try to collect compensation for ongoing pain and suffering. This type of record can also justify spending on additional appointments with medical professionals. For example, a defendant's lawyer is less likely to argue that a chiropractic appointment for which you're requesting reimbursement was unnecessary if your journal records in the day leading up to the appointment show you were experiencing ongoing back pain.
See if there were any witnesses to the incident.
Whether or not this is possible will depend on the circumstances under which you became injured. If you think someone may have seen the events leading up to your injury, it's important to seek that person out and ask if they're willing to give a statement on your behalf. A witness statement can help back up claims you make about the circumstances leading to injury. If you say one thing happened and the defendant says another thing happened, you'll be glad you have a witness to corroborate your story.
If you're too injured to ask witnesses for their contact information immediately after you are injured, consider posting an ad on a classified site or on social media. Ask anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward with information.
Shop around for the best lawyer.
Don't just sign a contract with the first personal injury attorney whose advertisement you see on television. Talk to a few different attorneys about your case, and ask their opinions. Ask friends and family members who have filed personal injury cases which lawyers they used, and whether they would recommend them. The more experienced your attorney, the better your chances of winning your case. Getting started with seeking a lawyer right away will help ensure you find the right one within a timely manner. If you wait too long, you may make a hasty decision and pick a lawyer who is not ideal.
Keep in mind that certain attorneys specialize in specific kinds of personal injury cases. If you were injured in a car accident, seek out an attorney who primarily works with car accident victims. For a slip-and-fall accident, use an injury-on-property lawyer, and so forth.
Filing a personal injury case is not always an easy process. If you follow the tips above and prepare for your case from the moment you get injured, you'll have an easier time collecting the compensation you deserve.
Share3 June 2015
Too many single people assume they don't need to plan their estate. My brother fell into this category, and his unexpected passing left our entire family struggling to deal with his home, belongings, and financial accounts. It took nearly three years for the courts to set up a deal because he left no paperwork detailing how he wanted his estate divided. The situation immediately convinced me to work on my own estate, even though I'm still in my early 30's and don't have children or a spouse to worry about. Since it's a little harder to pick beneficiaries and estate managers when you're single, I collected the resources I used for making my own decisions and decided to publish them here on my blog. Use these resources before talking to an estate planning attorney so you're prepared for making hard decisions.