Did You Suffer A Personal Injury Recently? Here’s What You Need To Do Now
What happens after an accident? Do you assume it’s just an accident and continue with your regular duties? Probably you came through this article after searching what to do after getting involved in a personal injury. You are not alone. After suffering injuries through an accident, most people get shocked, and most do not know what to do. Some resume their duties without even checkups and following up on compensation.
The law states that you must get compensated if you are injured by an accident caused by someone’s fault. This compensation is regardless of whether you got injured in a road accident, on someone’s property, dog bites, or any other injuries. The things you do immediately after an accident greatly determines your recovery period and the compensation you will get. Here is what you need to do to increase your chances.
Get Medical Treatment
Saving your life is one of the crucial things you must do after you suffer injuries from an accident. This means that once you fall into an accident, you need to immediately seek medical treatment to treat the injuries and get a doctor’s report. Why a doctor’s report? As stated by the legal team at KentuckyCourage.com, documenting the injuries enables you to prove that you suffered injuries from the accident. It’s concrete evidence showing the injuries were severe and that you spent money and time to get treated.
Therefore, there are several documents you need to get issued with the hospital, depending on the injuries suffered. Any injuries documented with the scan like private MRI scan may also contribute to your case as proof of injury during your accident. Some of these documents include admission records, X-rays, doctor’s notes, CAT scans, MRIs, prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and other medical bills.
Contact the Police
Minor accidents do not necessarily require you to call the place, but you might need to report to the police station to get a police report. However, where there are massive damages and injuries, it is essential to call 911, inform the police of the accident, give precise details of its location, the number of injuries, and any other information the police might inquire about. Ensure you are calm and composed when providing such information to avoid giving contradicting remarks.
The police will visit the accident scene and document it before giving out a police report. A police report is also a vital document that you can use when filing for compensation. The officers also have a mandate of doing an investigation and pinning the culprit who caused the accident. All this information enables you to advance your compensation claim.
Collect Evidence at the Accident Scene
There has to be proof that you suffered an accident and were present at the accident scene when it happened. Therefore, you have to gather all the necessary evidence at the accident scene. You should collect evidence immediately after an accident or before the evidence gets cleared by the police or the team involved with the accident scene. You can either take notes, record what has happened, or take photos of the accident scene. A smartphone is among the essential devices you can use to record such pieces of evidence.
Some of the information you need to collect from a road accident scene include debris on the roadway, damages to your vehicles or other vehicles, accident injuries and those from other victims, road signs, and wide-span pictures showing the whole accident scene.
File an Insurance Claim
The only way you can get compensation for the injuries suffered in an accident is by filing an insurance claim. Most insurance cases are time-limited. Therefore, it is essential to file for a compensation claim on time to increase your chances of winning the case.
Some of the claims you can make to the insurance company are property damages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and much more. However, when making these claims, you must stick to the facts as any breach of law or false information can limit your chances and land you behind bars.
Consider Talking to Your Lawyer
Your lawyer should come forth from the first step. However, there are some things you can handle by yourself and contact your lawyer when filing for the compensation claim. Talking to your lawyer has many benefits. First, it is not easy to manage a legal case by yourself since your defendant might have a lawyer too, making them have a strong defense.
Another reason you need a lawyer is that lawyers are experienced in compensation matters. They will help you gather the required witness, get you witnesses, and assist you in acquiring police and doctor reports. Through their experience, knowledge, and expertise, they will help you push your case until you are fully compensated.
The above are some of the things you need to do if you recently suffered an accident and got injured. While the steps must seem obvious, many people usually neglect them, diminishing their chances of compensation.
