If you have been in a car accident and suffered a serious injury, you may have a potential personal injury claim. You need to need to treat your claim very carefully. Not only do you have to ensure that you take all the right steps to win your case, but you must avoid doing things that could be interpreted as demonstrating that your injury is not serious. Insurance companies are particularly adept at monitoring your activities so they can minimize or eliminate any payout to you. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of four legal tips that should help position you for a successful resolution to your car accident injury claim.
1. Hire an Attorney
The first thing you need to do is get professional personal injury help from an experienced lawyer who has been around the block. When you are filing a case, you need an attorney who knows how the personal injury cases work in your state. Hiring someone from out of state is usually not the best option since that attorney will not be familiar with the local laws. Additionally, lawyers from the area have relationships with the courts and other attorneys, and this will always help you.
2. Report the Facts
The worst thing you can do when you are filing a claim related to a car accident is exaggerate things. If you ended up going to the hospital and they had to run a few tests, you should report these facts. Do not make it seem as though you spent multiple days in the hospital if you did not. The insurance company attorneys will check for documentation of any injuries or medical expenses you report, which means you need to stick to the full truth in any statement you make. Any exaggeration could damage your case beyond repair. Note that it is always best not to make any statement until you have consulted with your attorney.
3. Be Willing to Compromise
Even though you will sit down with your attorney and come up with a settlement number that you want to be paid for your personal injury claim, you may need to be flexible in order to come to a settlement amount that the other side will agree to. The worst thing you can do is stay true to the number you have in mind, even as the other side expresses a willingness to negotiate. At the end of the day, getting paid a reasonable settlement payout may be a better option than taking the risk of losing everything in an expensive and long trial.
4. Document Everything
From the moment the car accident takes place to the day you get your settlement check, you need a document of everything related to the incident. Take pictures of the crash when it happened, of the damage to the car, of any injuries you or other people in the car suffered, and of the road if it helps the case. And when you go to the doctor, take time off work or incur any other expenses related to the accident, make sure you document everything. The more proof you have to show your expenses, the more likely these expenses will be included in your settlement payout.
This blog post was submitted by Eisenberg, Gilchrist and Cutt, Utah personal injury attorneys.
