Introduction
In the aftermath of an accident resulting in personal injury, you may face many serious decisions. You’ll need to choose not only which form of treatment is best for you, but also how to best deal with the legal issues that arise as a result. If you want to file a personal injury lawsuit against someone (or some entity) who has injured you, it’s important to know what steps are necessary in order to do so successfully.
Keep detailed records and receipts of your injuries and damages.
Keep detailed records and receipts of your injuries and damages. This can be a difficult task, especially if you’re struggling with severe injuries or dealing with chronic pain. However, it’s important that you track this information—if you don’t, it will be difficult to eventually build your case.
Keep a journal where you write down every activity that triggers pain in your body or causes emotional distress (i.e., “When I sit, there is stabbing pain in my back”). Keep track of which medications are working for relieving pain and which ones aren’t (i.e.”Tylenol seems ineffective at reducing inflammation”). Record when doctors’ appointments are scheduled. (i.e. “My first appointment with Dr. Smith is on Tuesday at 2 pm”). List all medical bills incurred from treatment related to your injury (i.e., “$743 total spent at urgent care center”). Write down the amount paid out-of-pocket by yourself when making those payments because they should also be reimbursed by whoever caused them (i.e., “$50 paid at pharmacy counter”). If there are any lost wages due to missed work after an accident occurs then make sure this information is collected as well (i.e.”$800/week missed while recovering from surgery). Finally, don’t forget about documenting all expenses related directly to treating injuries sustained during a crash such as medical equipment purchases such as braces or crutches; physical therapy sessions; medications purchased after being injured like prescription pain killers, etc.
Keep track of any time you miss at work or school due to your injuries, and the emotional distress associated with it.
Keep track of any time you miss at work or school due to your injuries, and the emotional distress associated with it. If you have not yet gone back to work or school since being injured, this can be a particularly difficult task because there will be no specific dates upon which you can base an estimate of how much time was lost. However, if you are currently on leave from either place and have given notice of your intent to return, then keeping track of these dates may be easier. You should also include in this calculation any days where emotional distress prevents you from working despite physically being able to do so.
Contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Don’t wait for your health insurance company, the other driver’s insurance company, or any other person or entity involved in your accident to contact you. You can always be proactive and get ahead of the game by contacting a personal injury lawyer yourself.
Hire an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases
A personal injury attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve and ensure that you are compensated fairly. In many cases, the difference between having a lawyer and not having one can be thousands of dollars and sometimes millions. Many people who have been injured do not realize how important it is to get good representation until after they go through the process themselves and see how much difference having someone represent them makes in terms of getting what they deserve out of their settlement.
You need to be well-prepared when filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Filing a personal injury lawsuit can be a challenging, often tedious process. It’s important that you fully understand what you’re getting yourself into and how to best prepare for the battle ahead, but if you maintain detailed records and find good representation for your case, you’ll find yourself ahead.
Remember, if you have been injured in an accident and are thinking of filing suit, it is vital that you seek legal counsel from an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases. An attorney can help guide you through the process of filing a claim and keep track of all necessary deadlines so that your case isn’t delayed or thrown out due to lack of compliance with procedural rules or statute of limitations (the time period within which someone must bring their lawsuit).
In Wrap-Up…
We hope you find these tips helpful as you go through the personal injury lawsuit process. If you need to hire a personal injury attorney, Arnona Rose specializes in helping victims of accidents and injuries recover financially from their damages.