When you are involved in an accident that has caused injuries, you can take the driver at fault to court to seek compensation. The process of filing for a personal injury claim can be complicated and stressful. This article will outline how you can process your claim and hopefully getting compensated for your injuries.
After the car accident happens, the first thing you should do is to contact your insurance company and local police department. The police will investigate the accident to determine who was at fault and they will file a report. Always request a copy of this report since you will need to use it later.
The next step is to visit a doctor for a thorough checkup. This should be done within 24 hours of the accident, regardless of how severe your injuries are. On the outside, your injuries may not look serious. However, after some months, they can develop into something chronic, leaving you to pay large medical treatment bills. You should also take photos of any wounds that may be visible as a result of the accident. If you don’t go to the doctor within the first 24 hours, some insurance companies may not honor your injuries.
Gather as much evidence as you can about the accident. The more evidence you have, the more likely your claim is going to be successful. Some important things you should record include names of eye witnesses, hazardous road conditions, where the accident took place, the time and date of the accident, the injuries that resulted, damage done to both cars, and lost income as a result of the accident. You will have to provide your existing medical records to ensure you are not being treated for a pre-existing condition. Make sure your treatment is consistent with the injuries you claim.
When you contact your insurance company and ask them for compensation, they will try to get you to settle fast. These companies are looking to save money and will try to low-ball you. Don't rush for a settlement before you know the costs of all injuries associated with the accident and other factors like income lost from missing work.
To ensure you get maximum compensation, it is advisable to hire a personal injury lawyer to take over your case. However, keep in mind that the lawyer may charge you 33% of your total compensation. Therefore, do the math to see whether the amount of compensation you receive is worth hiring a lawyer. As a rule of thumb, your “pain and suffering” compensation is approximately 3 times your medical expenses.
The best thing about using a lawyer is that the insurance company is likely to take you more seriously, and will probably give you a higher compensation than if you sought made the claim on your own.
If the case goes to court, the settlement amount for your personal injury claim will depend on what the judge deems as "fair and reasonable", in relation to the injuries that you suffered. This amount will be determined based on your medical expenses and how your injuries affected your ability to work. You are likely to get a higher compensation by using a lawyer. However, it will ultimately be up to the court to decide how much you will get paid.
After the car accident happens, the first thing you should do is to contact your insurance company and local police department. The police will investigate the accident to determine who was at fault and they will file a report. Always request a copy of this report since you will need to use it later.
The next step is to visit a doctor for a thorough checkup. This should be done within 24 hours of the accident, regardless of how severe your injuries are. On the outside, your injuries may not look serious. However, after some months, they can develop into something chronic, leaving you to pay large medical treatment bills. You should also take photos of any wounds that may be visible as a result of the accident. If you don’t go to the doctor within the first 24 hours, some insurance companies may not honor your injuries.
Gather as much evidence as you can about the accident. The more evidence you have, the more likely your claim is going to be successful. Some important things you should record include names of eye witnesses, hazardous road conditions, where the accident took place, the time and date of the accident, the injuries that resulted, damage done to both cars, and lost income as a result of the accident. You will have to provide your existing medical records to ensure you are not being treated for a pre-existing condition. Make sure your treatment is consistent with the injuries you claim.
When you contact your insurance company and ask them for compensation, they will try to get you to settle fast. These companies are looking to save money and will try to low-ball you. Don't rush for a settlement before you know the costs of all injuries associated with the accident and other factors like income lost from missing work.
To ensure you get maximum compensation, it is advisable to hire a personal injury lawyer to take over your case. However, keep in mind that the lawyer may charge you 33% of your total compensation. Therefore, do the math to see whether the amount of compensation you receive is worth hiring a lawyer. As a rule of thumb, your “pain and suffering” compensation is approximately 3 times your medical expenses.
The best thing about using a lawyer is that the insurance company is likely to take you more seriously, and will probably give you a higher compensation than if you sought made the claim on your own.
If the case goes to court, the settlement amount for your personal injury claim will depend on what the judge deems as "fair and reasonable", in relation to the injuries that you suffered. This amount will be determined based on your medical expenses and how your injuries affected your ability to work. You are likely to get a higher compensation by using a lawyer. However, it will ultimately be up to the court to decide how much you will get paid.
David Hurley
David Hurley writes for CarAccidentSchool.com, a website that helps people make important decisions regarding car accidents, lawyers and insurance companies.
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