Nobody wants to be involved in an accident, let alone an accident caused by another person. The law recognizes each person’s duty of care, which is why accident victims are allowed, by law, to seek redress for damages suffered due to another person’s negligence.
If you have been involved in a personal injury, you can visit the Bengal Law home page to contact a personal injury lawyer or seek an initial consultation to clarify your case.
To help you improve your chances of health and recovering your losses, here are the steps to take after a personal injury.
Seek Medical Help
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One of the very first and most important parts of personal injury cases is getting medical help. This protects you from medical complications, hidden symptoms and also saves your injury claim from possible jeopardy.
Considering that accidents can happen anywhere and in many forms, whether while driving, in another person’s house, or in an encounter with a dog, it’s important to seek immediate medical attention.
Please note that seeking medical attention applies to all possible forms of personal injury, whether you have suffered a minor or catastrophic injury or you have suffered internal and/or external injuries.
By seeking medical attention, you can better understand the impact of the accident on your health and begin appropriate treatment. This medical examination report will also serve as one of the foundation evidence to prove the accident’s impact on your health and wellness.
Collect Evidence
Personal injury cases are presented in several ways; it could be in a minor car accident, a slip and fall accident, or a workplace injury. It’s important to collect as much evidence as you can to prove fault and also establish a connection between the fault and your losses or suffering.
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’s best to gather evidence like the photos and videos of the crash scene, eyewitness account, the other driver’s name and insurance information, and other details like the date, time, and weather condition.
If you have been involved in a slip and fall accident, you may need evidence to prove that the property owner failed to notify you of a wet floor, thereby causing you to slip and sustain injuries.
For work-related injuries, you’ll need evidence to prove that the employer has exposed you to an unsafe work environment that has culminated in your accident and subsequent injury.
Speak to an Attorney
Personal injury lawyers are trained to represent injury victims. They work with victims to find the best angles and strategies to position their cases, thereby improving their chances of recovering damages from the at-fault party and their insurance providers.
As an injury victim, it’s best to seek legal help as soon as possible. Doing this gives you a clearer perspective on your case and how to proceed. It can also help you avoid common mistakes that could jeopardize your chances of winning the deserved amount in compensation.
One of the best things to know is that most accident and personal injury lawyers offer free consultations and contingency-free pricing. This means that you can save on upfront legal costs while they dedicate their time and resource to get you a positive outcome, after which you pay.
With this no-win, no-fee arrangement, you’ll be able to focus your finances more on recovery while your lawyers handle the technical side of the case.
Inform your Insurance Provider
Insurance providers have different terms in their policy, requiring policyholders to contact them as soon as they’ve been in an accident. As a policyholder, it is important to inform your insurance company of your accident and sustained damages.
You may want to speak to a lawyer first before calling your insurance provider to report the matter. However, if you do call them before speaking to a lawyer, ensure to state only the facts of the case and nothing more.
For example, if you were in a car accident, state clearly that you were hit in a car accident but do not provide added information as to whether the other driver was drunk or the cause of the accident. Doing this is important to prevent misrepresentation, which could hurt you and your case.
File a Claim
Personal injury victims who have suffered losses due to another person’s negligence or wrongdoing are allowed to file a claim. This can be done through your injury lawyer as you recover from the injuries sustained.
Your lawyer will gather all evidence to support your case, including the at-fault party or parties, their duty of care, evidence to show that the duty of care was breached, and how that affected you. Using their legal strategy, your lawyer could help recover damages like past, present, and future medical costs, lost wages or loss of earning capacity, physical and emotional suffering, and more.
