Simply put, personal injury is a term that is used for acknowledging the injury which has been done to any part of the body. However, in American terminology, personal injury is a case in which the victim files a lawsuit against the person who has caused the injury or damage. You will be shocked to know more than 1.25 million people die from car accidents every year.
Having an accident with injuries is an extremely stressful event.
However, one common bizarre notion is that personal injury is only related to car accidents. The truth is the personal injury is related to any physical or emotional damage which is caused by an accident. In this article, we will give you some valuable tips on getting the personal injury claim you want. Keep in mind the other party will offer you a suitable claim following the injury. However, you as a victim stand an absolute chance of rejecting or demanding the claim you think is worth the damage. Following are a few tips for you to get the claim amount you want:
- Collect evidence
As soon as you recover from the injury, you must preserve all the necessary evidence. Most people make a big mistake of not documenting whatever they’ve gone through. Once you regain consciousness, you must chase back all the events in your memory and jot down all important details. Secondly, you need to take pictures of your wounds which are fresh. Owing to the massive advancements in medicine, it is easy for people to get rid of scars and wounds fast. If you want to register a strong case you must take pictures of your wounds to present in front of the court. Even if you demand the right claim and fail to produce concrete evidence in front of the court, your claim might be rejected.
- Get your medical reports prepared
Ask your doctor to prepare a detailed medical report of your condition. Refrain from visiting the insurance company sponsors medical centers. They tend to lower the claim by preparing vague reports. If you are skeptical about the doctor on the insurance company’s panel, you must check with multiple doctors to get an insight into the crux of the wound. Also, ask your doctor to identify any possible diseases which might infect you in the future because of the injuries. Most doctors overlook the diseases, which are the aftermaths of severe wounds. Your medical report should have a detailed account of whatever happened and a list of all the current repercussions of the wound along with the future possibilities of prospective diseases.
- Follow all the prescribed treatment plans
If your doctor has prescribed you different ailments, you must go through the procedure. Don’t overlook any medical test which is involved in the process. Keep in mind whatever medical expenses occur during your recovery will finally be added to the claim at the end of the day. Secondly, if you are affording treatment at your expense, you should have all the bills and details of the doctor’s reports for the court. Furthermore, you should have details of all the doctors you have visited before appearing in the court. So if the court asks you to produce contact information, you can easily pull out the contact details from your documents.
- Don’t put anything on social media
If you want to win the maximum settlement in your injury case, you must stay off social media. Let’s suppose if you claim you were severely ill on 24th September, but your Facebook status shows you were partying with friends, your claim will get rejected at the very same moment. The courts of law are flooded with thousands of cases every year and many are fake. The courts conduct a background check on people who demand a hefty amount of claim. So if you want to get the claim you demand, you must stay off social media for a while.
- Don’t settle for an inconsequential amount
Some people are burdened into accepting the settlement, which is offered immediately after the injury because they can’t afford the medical expenses during that time. However, you must reject a claim if you believe it has less value and doesn’t suffice for the actual damage which has been done. Keep in mind you stand an absolute chance of vocalizing your opinion even if you are less privileged or are from a middle-class family. Don’t succumb to the pressure which the other party tries to put on you. The courts acknowledge emotional loss as well which is why you can demand a handsome amount from the other party.
- Don’t mess with the cops if you’re arrested
If the cops arrest you after the accident with you not having suffered any serious injuries, don’t lose your patience. The late-night patrols have their job to do which is why they might hound you at any time. People who mess with the cops often end up in jail without being given any compensation. If you have lost a loved one and are being questioned about the scene, you must request the police not to ask you questions unless your attorney isn’t there. It is important to be patient enough when legal matters are going on.
- Hire a suitable attorney
This is perhaps the best way to get the claim you demand. A professional attorney will make sure you get the claim you deserve and maybe more. If you are from Los Angeles you must Google Los Angeles personal injury lawyer to get a list of all the veteran professionals who work in that state. Make sure you hire the right person for this job. When choosing a suitable attorney, check his/her experience, valid license to practice law and also ask questions to check the other person’s knowledge. Lastly, decide the payment plan you are comfortable with.
- Make yourself presentable
During the entire running of the case, you will have to attend several court meetings and will have to interact with many people. Your personality should be presentable in front of the judge for him/her to slant towards your side. They say it doesn’t, but physical appearance has an impact on the decision making to some extent. Even If deserve the highest amount of compensation, you must dress well when appearing in front of the judge. Secondly, the choice of your words should be mindful. Refrain from speaking too much or exaggerating the facts.
- Don’t lie to the judge
With much advancement in technology, it is easy to get a hold of what happened years back. So if you tell you were injured at so, and so place and the surveillance cameras tell a different story, you could get in trouble. Always be truthful and honest when it comes to legal proceedings. Tampering with evidence or reality will only cause more damage and bring no benefit. Be precise and to the point when you are asked about anything from within the case. Make sure eve if you don’t tell everything in the court, your attorney knows it all so he/she can navigate the case smoothly.
- Don’t wait too long to file your case
The best time to file the case is immediately posted the accident. If you are unable to walk you must hire an attorney to help you out in this case. Keep in mind there is a time slot within which you can file your injury case. If you fail to register your case within that time, you will lose out on the opportunity to get any claim. Most people make a mistake of filing the case after their recovery. Sometimes the recovery takes months after which there is no sign of any wound on the body which weakens the medical reports. Ask your attorney to write down the account of the incident.
- Never put the wrong value for your case
Every case is different. If you lost one of your legs in an accident, the other person might have got his skull bone broken in an accident. Never put a value of your claim which is in coherence with the value decided by somebody else according to their case. You must realize that every case is different in terms of the timings, parties involved, the type of injury, etc. If you start comparing your case with others to identify the exact value, you might be lowering the amount you could receive as compensation.
Conclusion:
Lastly, stay confident with the claim you have demanded. If you are rejecting an offer being made by the other party in court, you must explain why the offer is inadequate. Talk to your attorney in detail about your case and how the loss can be covered. If you lost a loved one as a result of the accident, you could also include the funeral expenses and other stuff in the claim to get a handsome amount. Thousands of personal injury cases are registered every year, but the courts of law have to approve those which are sound and substantial. Therefore you must dive full throttle in your case and complete the file you have to present in the court.
