5 Steps To Take After A Personal Injury
No matter how careful an individual may be, accidents that could cause minor or severe injuries may still happen. Unfortunately, not a lot of us know how to deal with these unfortunate incidents.
Whether a vehicular collision, workplace misfortune, or a slip and fall, what typically happens in minor personal injury incidents is that the victim refuses medical care in the absence of visible bruises and wounds. Additionally, some become unconscious and lose the capacity to take note of the circumstances of the incident, more so take pieces of evidence that may be used for later, for instance, when filing personal injury claims.
Any event that triggers personal injury, whether minor or significant, should put the victim’s well-being and safety as a priority.
If you’re unsure how to deal with personal injuries, you’ve come to the right place. Below are some tips on how to manage a personal injury accident:
1. Seek Medical Treatment
In every accident, the first thing to do is to get medical attention and treatment. Have someone call 911 for an ambulance dispatch. Doing this as soon as possible may help save lives or contribute to a victim’s swift recovery.
Getting immediate medical treatment allows doctors to respond well, observe, and gather necessary documentation about your injury. It could also help in the event that you decide to file a claim. There are strict rules in proving liability in personal injury claims. Establishing direct causation between your injury and the accident is the most critical of these rules.
After being discharged from the hospital, gather important medical documents such as:
- Admissions records
- Doctors’ notes
- Laboratory imaging results, such as X-rays, Computerized axial tomography (CAT), scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans
- Medical bills
- Prescription bottles
- Receipts of over-the-counter medications and other assistive devices
Doing this may support your future insurance claims. You should also learn what you need to know about independent medical examinations (IMEs) since this information can maximize your settlement.
2. Gather Evidence at the Scene
While waiting for medical help to arrive, take photos. Check the surroundings for the presence of security cameras, which you can to refer in the future.
Apart from taking photos and videos, don’t forget to take notes of the details of the accident by answering the 4Ws—who, what, when, where, and 1H (how). Write down your observations as objectively as possible, and analyze what could have caused the accident besides human error. Was the road slippery because of the snow or rain? Was the road condition partly to blame? Get as much information as you can while the incident is fresh, so you don’t miss out on important information.
Why go through all the trouble, you may ask? Typically, accident scenes are cleaned up, with some accident-prone things moved after the parties leave for the hospital or the police station. Preserving the scene of the accident by taking photos shortly after it happened can help build your case.
Consider asking witnesses for their contact numbers and other personal details as well. This way, it’s makes it easy to contact them for important questions that could help you.
3. Contact the Police
Any accident that sets off personal injury or property damage should be reported to the police for incident recording. Once notified of an incident, it’s the duty of the enforcement officer to document the incident, proceed to the scene, and list down the observations about the potential cause of the mishap.
The police officer will also take note if any of those involved in the problem have been cited for traffic violations or any other forms of a felony. Ask for a copy of the police report and keep it in your files.
4. File an Insurance Claim
Personal injuries could impact many areas of your life, so it is essential to try and file an insurance claim to compensate for the damages suffered and the costs incurred.
An insurance claim may cover payments for property damages, medical expenses, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering.
There’s a caveat, though. Insurance companies are known to find ways to devalue or undermine an insurance claim. They may go to great lengths to convince a victim to alter the facts about the incident. Insurance adjusters will talk to the victim in order to pay the least possible amount of compensation for the accidental damages incurred.
That being said, you should not rush into signing any document unless you talk to an attorney.
5. Consider Talking to a Lawyer
If the damages and injuries are caused by professional or company negligence, consider talking to a lawyer who specializes in these types of complaints. A lawyer will be able to walk you through your personal injury claims.
Personal injury accidents that qualify for insurance and other claims are quite limited. Below are the most incidents that qualify for insurance claims:
- Wrongful Death
- Car Accidents
- Workers Compensation
- Dog Bites
- Slip and Fall
What Not to Do
For your benefit, avoid doing the following:
- Saying ‘sorry,’ as it may be construed as an admission of guilt.
- Leaving the scene before you get the other driver’s contacts and have taken photos and videos or other forms of scene documentation (in the event of a vehicular collision)
- Saying it’s okay, as it may also be taken as an admission of guilt
- Talking to insurance adjusters without your lawyer.
Conclusion
Personal injuries are often attributed to car mishaps. While most injuries are indeed caused by this type of accident, damages that result from medical malpractice, negligence of responsibilities that lead to slip and fall, workplace accidents, and animal attacks fall under the category, too. In these instances, the priority should be the well-being and safety of the victim or sufferer.
However, if you think you’re a victim of an individual or entity’s irresponsibility, gather all the information you could muster and try to file a claim.
