Suffering a personal injury while on the job or through a traumatic car accident can be a difficult experience, and getting stuck with all the bureaucratic work needed to receive a fair settlement can be a truly hellish experience. Besides having to deal with the emotional weight of the occurrence itself while continuing to balance other concerns, such as your ability to work, pay hospital bills, or care for your family, you will need to make sense of seemingly nonsensical legalese, and keep your head together.
As anyone who has been through this can tell you, it is incredibly tiring, but there are ways to not only make it through unscathed but also receive the highest possible personal injury settlement you can. The following are a few points to help you.
4 Ways to Receive The Highest Possible Personal Injury Settlement
Prepare All Paperwork
The first thing to remember in putting together a personal injury lawsuit is to prepare all the evidence you have in order to establish a fault. A successful lawsuit will not be possible without legally establishing the fault of the second or third party, so you need to organize yourself, which may seem like a tall order in the aftermath of an accident. But, it will make all the difference in your case. Any jury will decide your case ultimately based on the evidence presented, so make sure to file a police report, get statements from any eyewitnesses, hold onto any bills, insurance claims, and other materials that show the fallout from the accident.
Go to the Doctor
Maybe you didn’t get hurt severely in the accident, and you’re not sure if you have medical claims to file as part of your case. In actuality, if you’ve suffered a personal injury of any kind and it seems that the damage happened more to your car or home, you should still go to the doctor or hospital immediately. For one, you cannot diagnose yourself properly, and only a medical professional will be able to tell you definitely if you are ok or not. You will need the report from your doctor documenting any conditions to include as part of your case for the jury and judge to review and come to a fair monetary settlement for you.
Remember, delays in the treatment can lead to strong legal arguments made against you by the second party, or even by insurance companies hesitant to pay for your treatment. They can easily say that you weren’t badly injured, nor did you suffer substantial damage as a result. Insurance companies will always look for a reason to deny a claim, so avoid the mistake of white knuckling it and thinking that you will be fine. Or, taking too much time to go to the doctor or checking yourself into the emergency clinic. One of the tricks essential to receiving a fair settlement in your case is acting fast on all these fronts.
Hire a Lawyer
An attorney experienced with the realm of personal injury lawsuits should be called in to help you through this process. While you can take the time to prepare the evidence yourself, things will become complicated fast with the trial and the subsequent issues with the insurance companies, and any small misstep on your part can throw the validity of your entire case into question. Don’t underestimate the level of determination that the insurance companies, and the second party – whether it is another driver or your employer – want to get out of paying you a fair settlement.
For example, seemingly small or inconsequential decisions such as deciding to skip out on a round of treatment with your doctor can be absolutely the death knell in your case. If you have a lawyer, you will just tell him or her that you had a scheduling conflict, and they will be sure to take care of the paperwork on your behalf so that the courts know that it was out of your hands.
Try to Continue Working
One of the things you want to make clear to a jury is that despite your injuries, you are doing your best to continue working. This is shown as proof of the fact that while the injury has incapacitated you for some time, you were unable to stop working for fear of not being able to keep up with different familial commitments. The juries in these cases are usually sympathetic and will want to offer a higher settlement so that you can have a chance to take care of your health while meeting your financial obligations.
Getting hurt or having your sole mode of transportation, such as your car, trashed, is a terrible feeling and can result in many missed bills piling on your desk, creating considerable anxiety in your life. Receiving a fair settlement that will help you make ends meet can be a challenge, but if you’re careful enough, you will be able to meet your obligations head on.
