When an accident occurs, and you or a loved one become seriously injured, the costs are often much more than you ever imagine. Of course there are the financial costs—medical bills, property damage, lost wages, etc—but there can also be other lasting consequences. You may suffer from psychological trauma, you may miss out on major opportunities or life events due to your injuries, and your overall quality of life may drastically deteriorate.
Victims in all such cases, whose lives are seriously impacted by an injury that resulted from an accident caused by another person or entity, deserve fair compensation for their losses. However, personal injury lawsuits can be incredibly complex and difficult to prove. It is vital that, immediately following your accident, you work to preserve your claim and give yourself the best chance of winning a potential personal injury lawsuit.
Please keep in mind that you should always seek emergency medical attention first and foremost following an accident. However, if you are able, there are some key steps you should take as soon as possible following an accident in order to protect and preserve your claim. Below we have outlined three of the most important steps you should take:
1) Preserve evidence
When you are injured in any sort of accident, preserving evidence that can help prove your claims will be vital to your chances of winning a personal injury lawsuit. No matter the nature of the accident, there will almost always be some sort of evidence, and one of the most important types of evidence you can present is witnesses to corroborate your account of the events leading up to and following the accident. You should always try to get the names and contact information of any potential witnesses immediately following the accident. Even if they did not see the incident occur, a witness who arrived right after an accident occurred can corroborate the state of the scene and other important factors. For example, if you slipped and fell at a restaurant, but no one saw it, a witness could testify that they responded to your call for help and saw the liquid that caused you to fall. Photographs of the scene can also serve to bolster your case. Document anything that could help prove your side of the story.
2) Write down everything
As soon as possible following your accident you should write down a detailed accounting of the events leading up to, during, and following the incident that resulted in your injury. Include dates, times, names, places, and anything else that could possibly be relevant. The longer you wait to document your story, the more likely you are to forget important details that could compromise your personal injury lawsuit. You should also document relevant information about your life following the accident. This could include documenting how your quality of life has changed, the dates, times, and costs of medical treatment, and anything else that could demonstrate your pain and suffering or other consequences of the accident.
3) Seek appropriate treatment
You must always seek appropriate treatment for your injury if you are to have any chance of winning a personal injury lawsuit. Go to the doctor for follow up appointments, go to rehab appointments, seek counseling if you the accident resulted in psychological struggles. If you do not seek treatment, your lawsuit will hold very little weight. As mentioned in point #2 above, also be sure to document all details regarding your medical care, particularly the costs and statements made by your medical practitioners.
If you have been the victim of injuries that were caused by the failures or negligence of another person or entity, you deserve both justice and compensation to help you take back your life. Do what you can to preserve your claim, and please do not hesitate to contact the Law Offices of Clarke Griffin, LLC today.
