Accidents can happen anywhere. It is, however, important that once they have occurred that you know how to react and deal with the situation. The events surrounding an accident as well as the moments that follow can be quite overwhelming and can lead to a lot of confusion. If you don’t know what to do, or how to react in these situations, you can be taken advantage of, or even be turned into the guilty party when it was not your fault. It is important that you are equipped with the following knowledge so that if you or someone you know where to find themselves in an unpleasant situation, you know exactly what to do and what not to do.
1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention
The first thing you need to do after suffering a personal injury is to seek medical attention. You might think that your injuries are not that serious, but it is always important to get them seen immediately. According to lawyers in Lehigh Valley “personal injury accidents vary in severity and complexity”, so it is important to keep in mind that some injuries don’t show any signs for quite some time. Things like soft tissue injuries, especially brain injuries, can take several days up to a month before they are completely obvious. Be sure to be honest with your doctor so that they can conduct a thorough evaluation to diagnose your injuries. Only then can they provide you with the proper treatment and identify injuries that you weren’t aware of yet. When injuries are left too long, you might find that you can no longer place a claim on them. It is important that you know what this specified period of time is, or you could lose your entire ability to bring a claim against the person or institution that caused your injury. You can find out by asking your insurance provider.
2. Contact an Attorney
After you’ve received medical attention, it’s time to contact a lawyer. You need an experienced, knowledgeable person representing your case. Hire a lawyer based on the type of injury you have. If you have suffered an injury in the workplace, make sure to hire an attorney that specializes in this in order to receive the best legal advice. They will listen to the details surrounding your injury, and then advise you on whether or not to file a personal injury claim. Don’t let finances discourage you from hiring an attorney. With most personal injury lawyers, the first consultation is free. From there, they work on a “contingency” basis, which means that they only get paid if you are compensated. They agree to take a portion of your compensation as their service fee, so you’ll never be on the losing end. They want you to get as much as you can, because that means a bigger payout for them, too.
Your attorney will advise you against talking to your insurance company representative. Notify them by email that an accident has occurred, but do not give details, or admit guilt in any way. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible, so if they can tie you to the incident in any way to ensure that you are paid out less than you deserve, they will. Leave your lawyer to talk to the insurance companies.
3. Be An Active Participant in the Investigation
Once you have secured a lawyer, they will begin a thorough investigation of your accident and begin building your personal injury case. Most lawyers will have a team of specialists including accident reconstruction specialists, doctors, and other professionals who thoroughly analyze the incident to determine exactly what happened, who was at fault, and how serious your injuries actually are. Your honesty and co-operation are important for this part of the process to be successful. This is all to determine how much you should be compensated for your injury.
4. Save All of Your Paperwork To Document Your Injuries And Recovery
It is important that you document your recovery process quite thoroughly. This includes taking photos of the initial injuries, as well as photos of recovery. It also includes receipts of things you’ve had to pay for that are out of the norm and are specifically related to your injury. Save every bit of paperwork that is handed to you during this time. This can help you receive compensation for extra costs you have incurred as a result of this. This is especially important if things take a few years to resolve. Having everything helps the court determine the value of your personal injury claim.
An injury is never fun. Be on top of your treatment. Make sure that you follow instructions to ensure that you recover quickly and fully and if things are not working for you your doctor can suggest a different therapy. A lawyer will cover the legal side of things, ensuring that you can focus on what matters most – recovery.