If you’ve recently been hurt in an accident, then the chances are very high that you qualify for a personal injury settlement. It would benefit you greatly to learn how to file a claim for personal injury if you feel that another party is responsible for your current pain and suffering. The following are the steps you need to take on the journey to filing a personal injury claim. Read each step carefully so that you can find a reliable provider to take your case.
Finding a Lawyer
Knowing how to file a claim for personal injury begins with finding a lawyer to take your case. If you’ve been in a car accident, you’ll need to search for a personal injury lawyer who deals with car accidents. Search engines are one of the most effective ways to find a list of attorneys fast. You can pop over to the Google search engine or a similar engine and enter keywords that will help the system locate an injury attorney near you. Be sure to type in your city and state so that you don’t have to travel far for your consultation. You’ll also want to ensure that the attorney is licensed in your jurisdiction.
Another way you can find a reliable attorney for your personal injury is by word-of-mouth testimonies. Ask people you know if they recommend someone for this type of case. You may want to also look at some lawyer’s organizations, as they’ll most likely have a search tool on their site.
Getting a Lawyer Specialized in Your Injury Type
You will need to look closely at each law firm you visit. Your goal should be to find a provider who specializes in your specific injury type. For example, you’ll want to hire a medical malpractice attorney if you experienced a personal injury at the hands of a hospital practitioner or doctor. You should search for a DUI lawyer if your incident involves a drunken driver. A car accident attorney could best help you if you were in a non-alcohol-related car crash. A dog bite lawyer can assist you if you have a dog bite. You get the picture. There are many benefits to narrowing your incident down the prospective attorney’s sub practices, such as being an accident attorney. For one, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that the attorney has dealt with similar cases many times.
Completing a search for an attorney is only the first step in knowing how to file a claim for personal injury. You’re going to have to do some research to ensure that you get the best attorney in the field. Create a shortlist of three to five providers in the area, and visit each attorney’s website. Look for accreditation and affiliations with reputable groups. Look for “about us” information that explains each attorney’s educational level and experience.
Another thing you’ll need to look for is statistical information. A lawyer who places statistics on the website is usually very experienced and confident in his or her ability to win your case. Secondly, the attorney will have knowledge of the most effective current strategies and tactics in that subfield to win a case for you. It’s true that the field of personal injury is broad, and many lawyers have various incident types under their umbrella of practice. However, in this situation, you need to be as specific as possible. Your goal is to increase your chances of receiving a settlement, and this will help you to do so.
The last thing you’ll need to do if you want to know how to file a claim for personal injury is to read reviews. Former and current clients will have a lot to say about the attorneys you’re considering hiring. Take your time and read through as many of those reviews as you can. They will tell you the kind of care and customer service the providers exhibited. Choose the law office that has the most positive reviews and the highest ratings. That will increase your chances of getting top-notch coverage.
Preparing Your Case
The next part of knowing how to file a claim for personal injury is preparing your case. You’ll receive a date for a consultation the first time you contact the attorney to request representation. You should go to the consultation well prepared with everything you need to help the attorney get started.
Police Reports
Police reports will likely be available if you received your injuries in a car accident. The police visit accident scenes and document their perspectives of what happened. This information will be crucial to your case because it will give the court a third party’s view of the fault in the incident. An injury lawyer’s job is to prove fault. Therefore, bringing the police reports with you can give your case extra leverage.
Police reports usually contain a summary that discloses which party the police believe is more responsible for the incident. In some cases, more than one party can be responsible, and you could be one of the parties. Don’t fret if the police report places you at fault, however. In some states, plaintiffs can still receive partial settlements even if they are partially at fault. Be sure to ask your lawyer about how the percentage of fault plays a role in a personal injury case in your area.
Evidence
Evidence is another thing you need to bring with you if you want to know how to file a claim for personal injury. Bring with you any pictures and videos that you have from when the accident happened. It will be very helpful in determining fault in the case. Bring items even if you don’t believe they’re significant. Every little bit of information can help your lawyer to fight for your settlement the right way.
Hospital Records
Your hospital records are crucial to your personal injury case. They will give the attorney a clearcut explanation of the injury diagnosis you received. Proving that the incident resulted in an injury will help to qualify you for compensation.
Repair Bills
Your repair bills will be helpful to your attorney, as well. A personal injury lawyer has to calculate a settlement amount to present to the presiding judge. Therefore, you will need to submit your auto repair bills if you were in a car accident. You should show the attorney these bills even if your insurance company has paid for part of the damages.
Hospital Bills
Hospital bills are other essential documents you should present to the attorney who is going to be helping you. The attorney will use those documents to add to the settlement request.
If you want to know how to file a claim for personal injury, you need to know about witness statements. Witnesses are people who saw what happened and can testify in court about the way it happened. It would be best if you could convince your witnesses to appear in court. If not, you could ask them to provide notarized statements. They will help establish fault with the other party.
Getting Treatment For Your Injuries
It’s crucial that you see a medical professional the moment you get into an accident. It’s necessary to get medical help even if you don’t feel any pain at first. Harsh injuries often cause adrenaline to release from the body. During that time, injured persons sometimes don’t feel any pain. The numbness usually subsides within a few hours or days, and the true pain of the injury sets in. It will be better for your case if you get a doctor to see you and diagnose you immediately.
You must listen to your doctor’s orders and follow all instructions. In many cases, the initial doctor refers a personal injury patient to a specialist who can help that person recover from the incident-related injuries. For example, you may have to visit a foot and ankle center if you’re having trouble walking because of an ankle sprain or fracture. You might have to visit a chiropractor if the accident caused your spine to shift. The medics may recommend that you see a mental health therapist, as well. Oftentimes, people need therapy for incident-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Don’t hesitate to get the care you need for your injuries.
It’s also important that you continue your rehabilitation and treatment as the case is progressing. If you continue your treatment as you’re supposed to, the courts will see the many ways that your injury affects your life. It’s already well known that you’re suffering financial strain because of the hospital bills. However, caring for an injury also involves the inability to go to work every day. That information will play a huge role in your case outcome and settlement amount. Your attorney will try to recover monies for your ongoing treatment, lost work, loss of stability, and more. Don’t skip any part of the process of recovering. Knowing how to file a claim for personal injury depends on your dedication to your own compensation and recovery.
Working With Your Claim
You may also need to work with an insurance company if you truly want to know how to file a claim for personal injury. This situation will most likely be true if you recently survived an automobile accident. The insurance company is responsible for investigating your case, establishing fault, and then making some payments toward your automobile repairs and medical bills if it finds that you are not the one at fault.
Unfortunately, sometimes insurance companies make rash decisions and deny claimants who should have received approval for their insurance benefits. In that case, it might be wise for you to also speak to an insurance claim attorney. This type of attorney handles rejected claims. He or she will communicate with the insurance company and discuss why your matter received a rejection. This attorney will review each aspect of your case in a detail-oriented manner to look for errors in claim processing. The investigations may include a request to see the initial claim documents. It may also include interviewing with your pain management physicians to get a more detailed explanation of your diagnosis and the theory behind how it came about. He or she will try to persuade the insurance company to overturn its initial ruling.
The insurance claim attorney might be your best friend during this period of self-care. You may need to hire two separate attorneys for your personal injury claim. Alternatively, you may be fortunate enough to find one that can handle both situations. Either way, you’ll know how to file a claim for personal injury.
Consulting with the Attorney
The last step in the process of how to file a claim for personal injury is meeting face-to-face with the attorney who will help you seek compensation for your injuries. The first meeting is called a consultation, and you are not obligated to hire an attorney just because you have that conversation. The consultation is more or less a meeting between you and the provider to determine whether your case is valid. The consultation can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. You’ll answer some questions about the incident, and you’ll present the documentation you have. The attorney will review those details and let you know whether you have a high potential win potential.
The best way to know how to file a claim for personal injury is to let the attorney work on it for you. This person will help you in many different ways. He or she can try to resolve the case before it goes to court. The attorney can speak with the defending party directly and try to see if they will settle out of court so that you can receive your settlement and get caught up with your bills even faster. The attorney can also fight for you in court to fully ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
The best part about hiring a personal injury attorney for your personal injury case is that the pay structure might be favorable to you. Many attorneys offer a no-win-no-fee type of representation. This type of representation is also known as contingency representation. In contingency representation, the attorney does not collect any fees from the client until the case has been decided in the client’s favor. At that point, the attorney may receive a 25 to 40% fee from the settlement funds.
Not all attorneys offer contingency representation. That’s why it’s important that you schedule a consultation and have an honest conversation with the attorney you’re considering hiring. You will both learn different information about each other. The lawyer will learn if your case is viable, and you will learn if you can afford the representation and remain comfortable while you recover from your injuries.
File Your Claim Today
You now know each step you should, and you know how to file a claim for personal injury. You shouldn’t wait a moment longer as a settlement could be in your bank account very soon. Take the above-mentioned steps quickly to get your life back on track.