Experiencing a personal injury due to someone else’s recklessness or watching your loved ones struggle in the same way can be really overwhelming. However, if you sustain injuries due to negligence on someone else’s end, you can file a personal injury lawsuit and receive financial compensation. Apart from the emotional turmoil, it can be exhausting to manage the legal, medical, and financial challenges that accompany personal injuries.
Personal injury can result from incidents, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, DUI accidents, bicycle accidents, etc. The number of road accidents that occur yearly has been constantly increasing. For instance, 57,725 car accidents were reported in Denver, Colorado in 2022. Regardless of how you were injured, it is important to get legal help and claim your rights. However, the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit can be challenging. Here are some tips that can help you maximize your compensation:
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File your claim immediately.
If you want to take legal action to claim financial compensation for your injury, you must know the strict time limits within which legal action should be taken, also known as the statute of limitations. This varies for each state. In Colorado, you must file a personal injury claim within three years from the time of the accident. Otherwise, you may lose all rights to claim the compensation. Finalizing the documentation and putting together the evidence can take plenty of time. Therefore, it is best to start as soon as possible and file the lawsuit.
Furthermore, It is important to find a well-reputed law firm in your city, as local attorneys will better know the courtroom customs, the local judges, and the opposing lawyer. For instance, The O’Sullivan Law Firm is a personal injury law firm in Denver with over 25 years of experience and a 99% success rate. Their attorneys will provide you with one-on-one, personalized attention, time, and dedication to make your claim successful.
Preserve all evidence
If you are going to a court for personal injury settlement, your case will most likely be decided by the jury or a judge. The decision will be based on the proof or evidence provided by you in the court. It is difficult to prove the fault if you do not have any evidence to support your accident claim. Therefore, it is essential to preserve every piece of evidence if you want to strengthen your case.
Remember, any piece of evidence related to the accident and your injury must be kept to be presented in front of the jury. Some things that should be preserved as evidence include:
- Pictures and videos taken at the scene of the accident
- Footage of nearby CCTV cameras
- Statement of any person who witnessed the accident
- Pictures of your injuries
- Medical record of all diagnostic tests, reports, and treatments of the injury
- A police report in case of a road accident
The exact proof/evidence that can benefit your case depends on the nature of the accident, but it is important to remember that keeping every evidence safe can help strengthen your case.
Consult a doctor right after the accident.
Consulting a doctor is the most important and foremost step you must take after getting into an accident – this isn’t just important because you might need medical attention. Your doctor’s reports about the cause and severity of your injuries can serve as a piece of crucial evidence in your case and help you claim maximum financial compensation. These reports will also provide further details about the prospects of your recovery.
Remember to tell your doctor about every symptom, no matter how minor it seems at first. It is possible that it may get worse with time. This will go into your report and serve as an important aspect of your claim. Moreover, be truthful in your claim and do not make your injuries look worse than they are in front of the jury. Your claim can be declared invalid if they catch you lying.
Do not accept the first offer without expert advice.
If you have a strong case, the insurance companies may directly reach out to you and begin negotiations by offering low settlements. It is a common tactic to figure out whether or not you know the worth of your claim. Even if the offer sounds generous, it might be because the insurance company wants to get out of a larger settlement. The problem with agreeing on their first offer is that it might forfeit your right to pursue more compensation.
Therefore, remember to be patient and seek advice from an attorney before making a decision. They will calculate and let you know the expected amount that you are likely to receive as compensation. Therefore, it will be easier for you to find out if the settlement amount is too low for the amount you can actually claim in court.
Keep a record of all financial expenses.
You can get compensated for all the losses after the accident if you know the exact costs and expenses. It might not be possible to remember each expense. Therefore, the best way is to keep a record of every expense related to the injury and accident. You can create a separate folder for all the receipts, or you can keep an injury journal to write down every cost.
Here are a few examples of financial records that you must keep:
- Record of medical expenses, including doctor’s fees, cost of diagnostic tests, medicines, etc.
- Cost of traveling to and from the hospital.
- Cost of damaged vehicle or property due to the accident, including the cost of structural changes.
- Cost of domestic help that you had to hire because you were no longer able to manage chores after the accident.
By keeping such a detailed record of the financial cost of your injury, you can ask to be compensated for every expense. Without proof, it might be hard to get it approved. Therefore, remember to document everything so it can be presented in court as strong evidence.
Final word
Nothing can compensate for the emotional instability that comes after suffering from a severe injury due to an accident. However, if the accident was due to another person’s negligence, you can file a personal injury lawsuit and become eligible to receive financial compensation. All you need to do is prove your claim in court. It may sound smooth, but great patience is required during the process. If you want your case to be successful, remember to save the evidence, keep a record, get medical treatment as soon as possible and hire an attorney from a well-reputed local law firm.