Injuries that involve car accidents, slip and falls, or even dog bites can be an unpleasant experience. But for some victims, these injuries can lead to high medical costs and long-term rehabilitation. For this reason, you must contact a competent personal injury attorney and file a claim on your injury as soon as possible. So if you need to know how you should go about filing a personal injury claim the right way, then keep reading.
Tips To File a Personal Injury Claim
If you’ve been injured and feel like you may have a personal injury case, it’s important to take the time to understand the process and what to do next. Filing personal injury insurance claims after a car accident can be complex, and many things to consider. Here are some tips to help you file a personal injury claim the right way:
1. Get Legal Help
The first step is to seek legal help. An experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to help you understand your rights and guide you through the process. If you’re unsure whether or not you have a case, it’s a good idea to meet with a qualified legal professional to determine if filing a personal injury claim is right for you. A lawyer at New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon can help assess your situation and advise how best to proceed. If you decide to file a claim on your own, make sure that all necessary paperwork is filled out correctly.
2. Take Pictures of Your Injuries
In an ideal world, every accident would be captured on video from start to finish, including the accident itself as well as after-effects such as bruising and damaged property. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, so you must take pictures of any injuries sustained during an accident immediately following the event and throughout the healing process. This photographic evidence can be helpful in support of your injury claim.
3. Seek Medical Attention
Before you start trying to put together your injury claim, you should seek immediate medical attention if necessary following an accident. Ensure to document everything about the incident, taking special note of all injuries sustained, when received treatment and how much time has passed since the event occurred. Also, make sure that you report the accident to the police and your insurance company.
4. Gather Evidence
Along with photographs, it’s important to gather any evidence related to your accident. This could include witness statements, medical records and bills, repair estimates, and other documentation supporting your case. The more evidence you have, the better your chances of success with a personal injury claim. In addition, it’s important to keep track of any out-of-pocket expenses related to your injury, as you may be able to recover these costs as part of your claim.
5. Notify the Insurance Company
When you are filing a personal injury claim, it’s important to notify the person who caused your injury and any insurance companies involved. This means contacting both your insurance provider and that of the party at fault for causing your accident. You can contact their insurance company to file a third-party claim and receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and pain, and suffering.
6. Wait For Response To Your Claim
Once you’ve filed your claim, the most important thing to remember is to give it time and wait for a response. It’s common for insurance companies to take months before responding to a claim, so don’t be discouraged if your initial calls aren’t returned. If necessary, you can contact them directly to speed up the process and make sure they know your injuries. Once they respond, be sure that you fully understand their offer and accept what you’re entitled to under New Jersey law.
7. Don’t Wait to File
It’s important to file a personal injury claim as soon as possible after an accident occurs. There are statutes of limitation in place which dictate how long you have to file a claim, so it’s best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible to find out what those time limits are and how they apply to your case. For instance, the statute of limitations in New Jersey for personal injury cases is two years. So, you need to file your claim sooner rather than later will give you the best chance of success with your claim.
8. Review Your Claim
Filing a personal injury claim is not something that should enter into lightly, and you must be aware of what your case might be worth in terms of potential compensation. After reviewing the particulars of your case, an experienced legal professional will help determine how much money you may receive from filing a claim and whether or not filing one is in your best interest before moving forward with any further action.
Suppose you ever find yourself in such an unfortunate situation where you get injured due to another’s negligent or reckless actions. In that case, understanding all your legal options needs immediate attention. As soon as possible, make sure to explore all compensation options available to you by meeting with a personal injury lawyer.