You have enough responsibility after a devastating personal injury touches the lives of you or a loved one. From critical first aid to recovery and rehabilitation, your plate will be full in the immediate aftermath of your injury. There are a few things to keep in mind, though, in order to make sure you have the best chance at getting a fair payout if you plan on filing a lawsuit.
- Receive medical attention immediately. Even if you don’t think you sustained a serious personal injury, you need to receive emergency care or visit your doctor as soon as possible. Besides the fact that many injuries that involve internal trauma (like traumatic brain injuries) do not show up for hours or days after an accident, you need the affirmations of a doctor that you actually sustained a serious injury for you to receive compensation. In the aftermath of an accident, slip-and-fall, or other event that precipitates a personal injury, your health and safety are paramount.
- Hold on to all relevant documents, and make copies if you are able. From medical bills to doctor’s notes and prescriptions, make sure you keep every document that is medical-related that supports your claim. Recovering compensation for your healthcare costs is often the first order of business in personal injury cases. If there is an accident report or police report that describes the event that led to your injury, be sure to request copies of these documents, as well.
- Make contact with witnesses. This can obviously be difficult if you are strapped into a gurney after a serious wreck, but you should attempt to speak with anyone who witnessed your injury. You don’t have to press them for every detail at the scene, but at least get contact information so they can relay important information to you and your attorney that supports your claim.
- Be prepared to vividly and explicitly describe your experiences recovering from your personal injury. Pain and suffering is a type of non-economic damages that plaintiffs in personal injury cases often seek. If you plan to pursue pain and suffering damages in your personal injury case, the judge, jury, arbitrator, or mediator needs to hear exactly how you were affected by your injury. With so much going on in the aftermath of a serious car accident or other trauma, it can be difficult to recall all the ways in which your life was upended. Keeping a journal to document your recovery can be an effective way to keep up with all your thoughts.
Conclusion
Another step to take in your personal injury case – the most important one – is to contact an experienced and aggressive attorney who will fight for you in court. Get in touch with us at 256-233-2025 to discuss your options today.
John's office is in Athens, Alabama, where he has helped thousands of people in North Alabama with everything from family law issues, to catastrophic injury and death cases, to criminal defense.
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