While most people will avoid thinking of personal injury, it does not stop the fact that a high percentage will suffer a personal injury at some stage in their life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that 96.5 million American residents visited a doctor’s office to treat general injuries in 2019 alone.
However, not every instance of personal injury can trigger financial compensation because some are merely accidents. The New York Bar Association notes that the law does not enforce an absolute responsibility on everyone to care for everyone else in every situation.
Cases of personal injury where you can hold an at-fault party liable for financial compensation are under the “tort law.” Liability, in this instance, entails a situation where an individual or firm involved in an injury was obligated to take some level of care to avoid injuring you.
Numerous circumstances might trigger such a scenario, such as reckless/negligent driving, failure to fix the damaged personal property, and wrongful action or inaction by the government. Personal injury law is complex or highly technical because its nuances differ by state.
For example, some states, like Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York, are “no-fault” for automobile accidents. It means the compensation does not depend on who caused or did not cause the mishap. States like Illinois, Texas, and California operate an “at-fault” system, meaning insurance payment depends on each party’s fault’s gravity.
You need an experienced and exceptional personal injury attorney to help you handle the technicalities and complexities. However, you can take some failsafe steps after an occurrence to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome. Hence, this piece will discuss the safety steps you should take after suffering a personal injury.
Get the Contact and Insurance Details of All Parties Involved
Immediately after you stabilized from the shock of the crash, try to get the contact details of all parties involved in the accident. You are setting the foundation for a solid case.
Your lawyer will contact the parties to discuss fault and gather more evidence. So, consciously exchange contact details with all involved in the incident.
“Specifically, you should know the name, contact address, phone number, and insurance details of the other parties. Similarly, do not deprive them of yours,” says personal injury attorney Charles E. Boyk.
The personal injury representation process and assessment are document-bound. So, getting these pieces of information will serve as the baseline for your lawyers.
Snap Pictures of the Accident Scene and Injuries
It is usually challenging to quickly get your bearings immediately after an accident. Depending on the severity of the incident, shock may trigger this. Shock is a psychological or physical state where the body’s fight-or-flight responses move wildly in reaction to a stressful event.
The aftermath may include impaired thinking, feelings of disconnection, and unregulated emotions. However, despite its intensity at the initial stage, it will eventually pass away with time.
Despite all these, crafting strategies to collect information relevant to the crash is essential. Try to document the accident scene through photography. Also, capture nearby damage, weather conditions, and signage.
Pictures will provide the proper context for an expert to make an informed decision on the occurrence.
Preserve Copies of Every Medical Documentation
The essence of filing a personal injury case is being able to successfully prove that a personal injury happened and someone was the cause of it. You should also establish the severity of the injury for adequate compensation. Thus, it is crucial to keep track of and provide a comprehensive picture of the medical effect of the injury. It vividly illustrates your health status before and after the incident.
Documenting the health impact of the harm will help you defeat an insurance firm if they attempt to lower the compensation you deserve. Do not forget to share your medical history with your attorney to help them establish that you had no long-term health condition before the incident.
Inform Your Insurance Firm of the Occurrence
It is golden to inform your insurer about the incident within 72 hours of its occurrence. In some instances, some insurance policies have notification deadlines. Depending on the occurrence of the harm, a claim’s statute of limitations may also play out.
Informing your insurance company of a personal injury does not mean admitting fault, but it depicts clear and honest communication about the incident and your roles in it.
Request Official Documentation from Law Enforcement Agents
If the police and other professionals were at the scene, request official documentation. Official documentation collected by trained experts is invaluable in proving your case and upholding your claims. The documentation you can use to add credibility to your argument includes police reports, private investigation findings, and accident reconstruction reports.
Keep Copies of All Expenses and Bills Incurred Due to the Harm
Your insurance policies should cover various injury-related expenses in a successful case. The expenses include medical bills, repair invoices for damaged property, anticipated future expenses, and payments for medicals and assistive tools, like walkers and wheelchairs.
The insurance company may also cater to intuitive spending, like the financial burden of going back and forth for medical reports and physician visits. Hence, it is wise to keep detailed records to increase your chances of getting deserved compensation.