If you were injured in an accident, it is important to contact a personal injury lawyer quickly to help you with your claim. While a lawyer can assist you with various aspects of your claim, there are also proactive steps that you can take to increase the value of your personal injury claim.
When you contact the personal injury lawyers at Greg Monforton & Partners, we can discuss some of the ways that you can protect the value of your claim.
Write Everything Down and Preserve Evidence
After suffering a personal injury, you will have the burden of establishing your claim. Evidence in a personal injury case can be removed mere minutes after the accident occurs, so it is important to preserve as much evidence as possible. Some ways that you can preserve evidence include:
- Report the accident – If the accident involved a motor vehicle collision, report the accident to the local authorities. If the accident involved a slip and fall, report the accident to the property owner.
- Take pictures – Take pictures of the accident scene, warning signs, defects and your injuries.
- Record important information – As soon as you have a chance, write down the exact location where the accident occurred and the events immediately leading up to it. Also, write down any relevant comments that the other party said at the accident scene.
- Identify witnesses – If anyone saw your accident, get their contact information before they leave the scene.
- Identify possible video surveillance – Take note of any businesses or properties that have video surveillance.
These quick actions can help establish liability and increase the value of your claim.
Inform Your Doctor About the Extent of Your Pain
An immediate step that you should take is to seek medical treatment. If you do not seek medical attention or delay in getting it, this will likely have a negative impact on the value of your claim.
When you see your doctor, mention everything that hurts. This will help ensure that your doctor records this information into your medical records, which can be used later to establish the full extent of your injuries. Your medical records will include important information, such as:
- Your diagnosis
- A description of how you were injured
- Your physical complaints
- Test results
- Doctor’s notes
- Your treatment plan
Reporting all of your symptoms is also important because it can help the doctor identify all of your possible injuries. Do not make a mistake of underreporting your pain. It will be important to have this pain documented in your medical records across time.
Follow the Recommended Treatment Plan
It is also critical to follow your doctor’s recommended treatment plan. By not following doctor’s orders, the insurance company may argue that you caused your own injuries and that it should not be responsible for any damages.
An insurer may also question the validity of your claim if you do not actively seek medical attention or refuse to follow your doctor’s orders. Be sure to keep all of your appointments and avoid activities that your doctor tells you not to do.
Do Not Exaggerate About Your Injuries
Be honest about the extent of your injuries. Do not exaggerate your injuries. Do not lie about what activities you cannot do. While you might think that embellishing your injuries may lead to an award of more money, this tactic often backfires.
Insurance companies often hire private investigators or uncover evidence that contradicts exaggerated claims. By being honest about your injuries, you can increase the value of your claim.
Keep a Diary or Injury Journal
In many personal injury cases, it may take a significant amount of time before you ever go to trial, so it is important to keep a record that jurors can later review to see how the accident affected you.
Be sure to include any physical pain and suffering you have experienced as well as activities you previously enjoyed doing that are now hard or impossible since your injury.
Get in Touch with a Personal Injury Lawyer Now
One of the most important steps that you can take to increase the value of your claim is to choose the right personal injury lawyer who can skillfully represent your interests. It is important to select a lawyer who can negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company on your behalf.
Schedule a free consultation with Greg Monforton & Partners to discuss your legal rights and options. We take cases on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no upfront costs unless you win.
Contact our office today by calling (866) 320-4770.