When a person is injured by the negligence of somebody else, the injured party has the right to be made whole. Since the law can’t give the person a new natural neck or knee, the only way to compensate them is with money. If you’re injured by the negligence of another person and want to be made whole, you have to be diligent.
Document the accident
All circumstances surrounding the accident must be documented so that liability issues are preserved. In motor vehicle accidents, the police usually do a nice job of this in their accident reports. Make sure the police are called to the scene, and stay there until they arrive. They’ll get the details of how the accident happened, and the contact information of all vehicle occupants and any witnesses.
Document your injuries
Injuries are documented through medical records and bills. Without them, there are no ascertainable injuries and no case. If you’re hurt in an accident, the best way to document your injuries is to tell paramedics at the scene what hurts from head to toe. They’ll examine you at the scene. You want to be taken to the nearest emergency room. They’ll transport you. Records of your complaints of pain and their treatment will be made from the accident scene to the emergency room. Emergency room personnel will then examine you and make their own more detailed records. Follow up on all care and treatment after the emergency room. Don’t miss appointments.
Retain a personal injury attorney
When you’re minding your own business and suddenly hurt through the carelessness of somebody else, you’re a victim thrown into the world of personal injury. You’re not going to do arthroscopic surgery on your knee yourself, even though it’s an outpatient procedure. According to Owen Law Firm, you shouldn’t handle your own personal injury case either. You simply don’t know what you’re doing. An experienced and skilled personal injury attorney should be retained by you as soon as possible after the accident. Don’t worry about paying them. Consultations are free, and you owe no attorney fees unless they obtain a recovery on your behalf.
If the insurer of the party that caused the accident contacts you wanting your statement, you’re under no legal obligation to cooperate. Just tell them to contact your attorney. You’ll never hear from them again. Your job is to reach maximum medical improvement. That alone can be very time consuming. Your personal injury attorney will handle everything else. That’s what they are there for.
This article is from Lizzie Weakley, a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. She enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her three-year-old husky Snowball.
