A personal injury may be defined as physical injuries, mental injuries or property damage caused to you due to the fault and negligence of another party. This will allow you to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party to recover compensation from them for the consequences of their actions. Causes of personal injury can range from slip and fall incidents to vehicle accidents, defective devices and products and even medical malpractices resulting in disability.
Steps for Seeking Compensation After a Personal Injury
You have to undertake the following steps in order to claim compensation after a personal injury.
Gather the Evidence
If you have been involved in a car accident resulting in personal injury, you should gather as much information as possible regarding the incident. This includes photographs of your vehicle as well as the at fault parties, names, addresses and contact numbers of witnesses to the incident, and photographs of your injuries. All these documents, along with the police investigation report can be recorded as evidence in support of your insurance claim. Also, include a copy of the medical examination report and the cost of your medical bills. Lost wages can also be included in this claim.
Seek Medical Treatment
If the accident has resulted in personal injuries, the first step is to seek medical attention. Even if you do not feel any pain at that time, it is important to be examined by a doctor so that the time of the examination and the results are properly documented. This can be important if you are seeking to be compensated for a personal injury. If you do not seek medical attention immediately following the incident, the insurance company of the at fault party will use this against you to downplay the severity of your injuries and to avoid giving you any compensation at all.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
One of the most important things you can do is to contact a personal injury lawyer to assist you with your claim for compensation. If you are involved in a major accident and the treatment for your injuries is ongoing, it is likely that a personal injury lawyer can be instrumental in filing a strong case for compensation that has a strong chance of being accepted by a court or insurance company. You may not be aware of the Statute of Limitations in your state, which limits the time you can file your claim for compensation. Experienced Pittsburgh personal injury lawyers recommend getting legal representation from a knowledgeable and well-versed lawyer to help negotiate with the insurance company and get you the compensation you deserve.
Set up the Insurance Claim
You will have to inform the at fault party that you will be filing a claim for compensation. You can get their contact number and insurance company details, or if they are disputing your claim for compensation, you can file your case in the civil courts where you will be the plaintiff and are serving notice on the other party who is the defendant. You will have to give some evidence for your claim, and a personal injury lawyer can help you with this process.
Negotiate a Settlement
You can ask your lawyer to file a claim for settlement or do it yourself. Your personal injury lawyer will be more familiar as to how to file a civil lawsuit for compensation so you don’t have to do everything yourself. Both you and the at-fault party can have different estimates of the compensation that can be granted. The process of negotiation can go back and forth till either an agreement is reached or a case has to be filed in court, which will go to trial. In this event the evidence will be presented, eyewitnesses will be cross-examined and the case will finally be decided by a judge and jury.
Conclusion
The steps to claim compensation related to personal injury have been discussed above. If you or anyone you know is interested in claiming compensation related to personal injuries, follow these steps and get in touch with a personal injury lawyer if things get too complicated. They will help you work out and get the compensation you deserve.