The steps you take immediately after sustaining an injury could affect both your right to compensation and the final amount you receive. To preserve the value of your personal injury claim, we recommend doing the following:
Report the Accident
If you’ve been involved in a car crash, you should call your local law enforcement to report it. Call 911 if you or anyone else is or may be injured. The responding officer may issue a ticket if it is determined that the party who caused the wreck violated the law. Additionally, the police will file a police report, which contains basic details like the identities of the parties involved. This report will prove valuable when seeking compensation.
For accidents like a slip and fall, contact the property owner or the individual who caused the accident. Do so as soon after the accident as you can and be sure you document this contact in writing.
Seek Medical Attention
Personal injury victims often don’t understand how seriously they’ve been hurt. They may believe their injuries are minor or even non-existent. However, in the hours and days that follow, injuries may reveal themselves or worsen significantly. Proper treatment requires you to see a medical professional for any injury, no matter how minor.
Seeing a doctor is also necessary to protect your legal claim. If you unreasonably delay medical attention or forgo it entirely, the insurance company and attorneys representing the at-fault party may blame you for aggravating your injuries and, therefore, argue you deserve less compensation. They may claim that some other party caused your injuries. Seek treatment from a doctor to preserve both your health and possible legal claim.
Document Everything
Because the accident scene will be quickly cleaned up, you need to document as much of it as possible. Take photographs and record videos of the vehicles or scenes in general. Photograph any injuries. If there were any witnesses, obtain their names and contact information. Identify the exact location of the accident and note any businesses in the area that may have surveillance cameras. Keep track of your medical bills and any lost time from work.