The Do's And Don't's Of Dealing With Personal Injury
Personal injuries are all too common. Perhaps almost as common is the way that claimants can seriously harm their own chances. To get the best possible claim, you need to start doing the right thing immediately from the moment after the injury. If you ever find yourself a victim of someone else’s negligence, here’s what you should and should not do.
Do: Collect evidence
If you’ve been injured and it’s definitely not your fault, the evidence will point in your favor. If you can, take photos of the area and anything related directly after the accident. Make sure you get the details of the others involved in the accident. If you have any witnesses, it’s a good idea to get their details, too. This goes for medical treatments, too. Take copies of any bills and get your medical history every time you have a new treatment related to the injury. It can help to even keep a journal of the after-effects of the accident. The more evidence you can collect, the better.
Do: Contact others immediately
You shouldn’t be doing everything on your own, either. If you take your time in calling the right people, it can be used to argue that your injury claim was pre-meditated well after the injury. At the scene of the accident, you need to call the authorities, immediately, including the medical services. You should also let your insurance providers know if necessary. Finally, it’s a good idea to have legal advisors like Cogan and Power, PC. in your contact list. The sooner you get legal representation, the sooner the wheels are put in motion. Acting fast is important.
Don’t: Say too much
Immediately after an accident, you may have an urge to speak to the others involved. While recovering from the trauma of an auto accident, you may even be tempted to assuage their guilt by admitting some fault. Don’t. Besides getting their details and ensuring they’re okay, don’t talk to them. Similarly, don’t talk online or on social media about any claim that you might be involved in. Let your legal representation do the talk.
Don’t: Delay or exaggerate medical treatment
If you have received any treatment for your injuries, let the documentation speak for itself. If you have delayed getting treatment, even if you are in severe pain down the line, you will have trouble connecting that pain to the injury. Similarly, don’t try and exaggerate any pain you’re suffering or medical treatment you’re getting. Your opponents in the claim will be well versed in spotting this. Not only is it likely to harm your case. You could be found guilty of fraud, after. Not only will you be injured, but you’ll be liable to undergoing a lawsuit directed at you as well.
Beyond the steps above, you shouldn’t try to be personally aggressive in chasing a claim. Providing you’ve got the legal help you need, leave it up to them. You have no idea what you might do that could damage your chances.
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