7 Ways for Maximizing Compensation in Your Personal Injury Claim
by Abdul Aziz Mondal Human Resources Published on: 15 May 2020 Last Updated on: 19 February 2024
If you are injured due to someone else’s fault, you have a right to file a personal injury claim against the person at fault. Your compensation should cover your medical bills, lost income, emotional loss, and any other damages as a result of the injury.
According to statistics, the majority of personal injury cases are settled out of court. While this is true, making a personal injury claim is not easy. The process is very tiring, rough, and full of time-consuming bureaucratic red tapes. In addition, insurance companies are always trying to pay you less than you deserve or nothing at all making the process even more difficult.
Fighting a personal injury claim is not an easy thing to do. In fact, if you are not adequately prepared with the right legal backing, the opposing party can shut your claim down inside or outside court. This is why a leading Glendale ca personal injury attorney states that individuals should always opt for the best legal counsel when pursuing personal injury cases.
Despite everything, it is possible to make a successful personal injury claim. In this article, you will find the 7 most important ways to maximize compensation in your personal injury claim.
Here are 7 Ways for Maximizing Compensation in Your Personal Injury Claim:
1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention
To make a successful personal injury claim, you must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the injuries were as a result of the accident. It is impossible to do so without medical records. For this reason, ensure that you visit a doctor for treatment immediately after the accident. Any delays might mean that the injuries are not as serious as you claim them to be. Also, keep a detailed record of the whole treatment process to paint a clear picture of the extent of your injury. Any additional information will help build a strong case to get the highest possible injury compensation.
2. Document Everything
In addition to the doctor’s report, you will need to keep a record of the scene of the accident. If your injuries are not severe, take pictures and videos of the scene otherwise have someone do it for you. If there are any witnesses, ensure that you get their names and contacts and any other information relevant to the accident. In case of a motor accident, be sure to report the incident to the police and keep a copy of the report immediately after the accident. You will need this evidence to build a strong case against the insurer.
3. Avoid Social Media
If you suffer a personal injury, there is a temptation to share the information about your case on social media. However, you should resist this temptation as this information can be used by the defense to harm your case. Additionally, it is impossible to prove your pain and suffering to the jury if there are photos of you having fun with your friends or family all over social media. This is contradictory and will be used by the defense to destroy your personal injury claim. If you have to post on social media, wait at least until after the case is over for you to do so.
4. Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
If you file a personal injury claim, you will need the help of an experienced legal professional such as those available from vbr Lawyers to help maximize your compensation. The process is full of legal procedures that are difficult for the layman to understand from the beginning to the end. As such, ensure that you get legal help from an experienced attorney in the early stages of the process.
Some personal injury lawyers hardly get to court. They will settle for very little to avoid the stress and the time spent in courtrooms. Ensure that you hire a lawyer that can go all the way to the court if need be.
5. Patience Pays
The insurance company does not want to pay you. If they have to, they want to pay you as little as possible. They will come to you with settlement offers that are always lower than what you deserve. While these offers might be tempting, accepting them might ruin your chances of getting double or triple the amount offered. Take your time through the offers and be sure to consult with your lawyer before accepting any settlements. A little patience might go a long way to ensure that you get fair compensation.
6. Support Your Rejections
While you are building a case against the defendant, the defense is also building a case against you. They will try to disapprove of everything you are trying to prove and will not accept any offer you reject with open arms. For this reason, you must give a convincing explanation to the defense team as to why the settlement is not sufficient. Your lawyer will help you with the considerations and paperwork concerning the rejected settlement.
7. Be Aware of all Types of Damages
Personal Injury claims are not just about external physical injuries, you might also suffer internal injuries that are not visible. There are also emotional damages such as anxiety, stress, and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) among others. When making your personal injury claim, be sure to consider all the possible damages you have incurred as a result of the injury.
Some injuries have a short-term effect while others are long-term. For example, some leg injuries might mean you will never walk again while others might mean that you will walk after 5 years of physiotherapy. The compensation amount should be able to cover the short-term damages as well as future damages as a result of the injury.
At this point, it pays to have a very good lawyer. He or she will help you calculate all the expected treatment costs and also fight to ensure that those costs are included in your compensation amount.
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