Personal Injury Do’s and Don’t’s
Whether you were injured in a car accident as the result of another driver’s negligence or your fell and injured yourself do to a slipping hazard, there are some steps you must take immediately to ensure that your right to a recovery is preserved and maximized. Our actions in the aftermath of an injury are critical and insurance companies will examine your conduct following your accident to evaluate what your injury claim is worth.
The goal of the personal injury claim is to place a value on your claim that fairly compensates you for your injury. Accordingly, you do not want to do anything that lessens the value of your claim. Here are just a few of the things you need to consider so you have the best right to a fair recovery.
First, do NOT delay in seeking medical treatment. We are all busy people with jobs to maintain and kids to raise and have more responsibilities that a team of 10 people could manage. That being said, a delay in seeking medical attention will immediately decrease the value of your claim. Those who delay in seeking medical treatment were not seriously injured and are not entitled to compensation. This statement seems ludicrous and unfair but the greater the delay the less your chance to adequate compensation. The critical issue isn’t always how injured you are, but rather how injured will the insurance company evaluating my claim believe I am based on the records they review.
Therefore you must not only seek immediate medical attention, but you must follow your doctor’s instructions in terms of additional treatment and referrals to other medical providers. This is often where an experienced injury attorney can advise you in how to maximize your right to the best medical care available to you. Knowing what questions to ask your medical providers and the types of referrals you might need are crucial and the smart injury attorney can make sure you are receiving the proper care. You also may be entitled to have your medical treatment paid for while you are treating and waiting for a settlement and your lawyer can assist and advise you regarding this issue as well.
Second, be your own investigator! Take photos of the area of your fall or the vehicles or trucks involved in your accident. Make sure the fall was reported to the store manager and that any accident reports were filled out. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident. Defective or hazards that cause you to fall are usually cleaned up and fixed within hours of your fall. Cars will be repaired quickly. You need to document the conditions that caused you to fall in order to prove your case and you need to show what the damage to your car looked like after the accident to make the argument that the collision was a heavy impact. Be your own investigator and take these photos before the conditions magically disappear and it’s only your work versus the property owner’s word.
Third and last, call an attorney right away! Don’t wait to seek the advice of an injury attorney. The phone call to the experienced accident lawyer is FREE and it is really in your best interest to get free advice right away so you ensure that you receive the settlement amount you are entitled to. Why pass up free advice?
If you’ve been injured due to a defective condition or a negligent driver, call our office today at 312.422.0500 for a free no fee consultation. As we stressed above, delays in moving quickly and aggressively with your case can kill your right to a recovery. Don’t wait.
