August 15, 2017
Determining if you should file a personal injury claim can be complicated. You may be able to file a personal injury claim, if you have been a victim of the scenarios listed below. These are just a few examples of the situations that would allow you to file a claim.
- Victim of a car accident due to a negligent driver
- Slip and fall accident anywhere outside of your home
- Medical mistakes due to a careless doctor or nurse
- Work related injury
The first thing you will want to do, is to determine if the party at fault has insurance that will cover any claim you make. If they do not have insurance, it can get tricky and might not be worth it to file a claim, but this depends on how severe your injuries were/are.
In some cases, a settlement is made before the case is even brought to court. If the insurance company of the at-fault party is not willing to compromise, or they do not have insurance, you will need to file a claim. You will want to collect as much evidence as possible. Include damages to yourself, your vehicle if it was involved, witness statements if there were any, medical/hospital bills, etc. If you tell the other party you want to file a claim against them, they may give in and give you the proper settlement you deserve.
Hire an Attorney
Dealing with personal injury cases can be stressful and burdensome. If you are the victim filing a claim, you will want an experienced attorney, like a personal injury lawyer can trust, who understands how insurance companies work. The party you are filing the claim against will do anything they can to make it sound like they were not at fault. When this comes up, an attorney who has dealt with many cases just like this, will know what to do. When looking for an attorney there are a few things you will want to take into consideration:
- Court outcomes (cases won vs. cases lost)
- Testimonials
- Years in this field
- Style of work- promptness, customer service, etc.
If you decide to hire an attorney, this will ease most of the stress this claim may put on you. An attorney will know the statute of limitations in your state, which deal with when and how to file a claim. Certain states may allow up to 4 years after the accident before you file a claim, and an attorney will know the specifics behind this and help you figure out the details of your case. They have seen these cases several times before, and will help with any missing details and will allow you to live your life worry free.