Imagine swimming in the sun-drenched waters of southern Florida, or riding in the mountains of Wyoming, it can be a wonderful getaway for the weekend or a fun-filled vacation. But what if you are injured while out of state? That’s when you need a personal injury lawyer who can help you even when the injury occurred somewhere else.
Sometimes, accidents happen and you could be injured in an accident or by a mishap that happens while you are away from home. Dealing with an accident is a little different everywhere, and it can be especially complicated when you are traveling.
What to Do?
The following steps are the first action you take, and they are similar to the actions you would take in your own state.
- Call emergency services
- Call your car insurance provider (if it is a car accident)
- Listen to the professional advice offered to you (police, medical personnel, etc.)
- Seek medical attention, even if you think you don’t need it.
Save Documentation
If you need emergency medical attention, wait for the hospital to release you, and give clearance for you to return to your own state. Follow medical recommendations to recover from injuries. Once you have dealt with all the immediate issues, you need to think about how you want to proceed legally.
Insurance Process
When filing insurance claims, even if out of state, the process is the same as if you had an in-state injury. The main issue will be trying to decide on where to sue and how the local jurisdictions affect your lawsuit.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Contact a personal injury lawyer in the state where you were visiting and discuss whether you should sue in the state you were visiting or in your home state. Sometimes the case will merit both options. Once you and your lawyer decide, the legal process works much in the same way it does for your own state. When hiring a lawyer for the legal portion of your injury, you need to first contact an attorney that is licensed in the state where you were injured. Sometimes you can find an attorney licensed in both states. You can expect to have to travel back to the state where the injury occurred if the case goes to court or during mediation negotiations.
When seeking compensation for personal injury in another state, it might be best to seek out a personal injury lawyer in the state where you were injured. The attorney will also consider your travel expenses when seeking compensation and will try to limit needed visits as much as possible.
This article is from Brooke Chaplan, a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.
