Your Personal Injury Case Checklist

When it comes to personal injury cases, it’s important for the client to know what steps they have to take in order to build the best care possible with the help of a personal injury attorney.

Below are some important reminders, including your personal injury case checklist.

Do you know what you can do in a personal injury case to help your personal injury case?

When a client comes into my office for the first time, or I meet the client at their home, it gives me a chance to get to really know the client, go over the facts of the accident and determine what type of injuries were sustained, as well as determine if they truly have a personal injury case. Usually, in a personal injury case, most people I talk with have been injured when they are involved in a traffic-related accident, be it by car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or walking as a pedestrian.

I specialize in a personal injury case that involves traffic related injuries and deaths. This is my true specialty and I take very seriously each and every personal injury case that I handle. With more than 30 years of personal injury case experience, I know what to do and how to negotiate with the insurance companies. I used to represent and defend the insurance companies in car accident cases, so I know what is needed to get you the highest settlement possible.

Keep the following personal injury case checklist in mind so we build a good case together and you get the maximum compensation you deserve.

Helpful Things To Do At The Car Accident Scene

When your personal injury case, car collision occurs, you may feel in shock and your adrenaline may be racing at 100 mph. This natural adrenaline can mask the pain that you might otherwise feel.

At The Accident Scene, Get Checked Out By The Paramedics/Ems.

It is very important to get checked out immediately by paramedics at the scene of your car accident. Even if you do not think you are seriously hurt, it may be due to adrenaline or distraction of the accident scene. Many people do not believe they are really injured at the scene of a car accident, then end up with serious injuries requiring medical treatment.

Go To The Hospital Er Or An Emergency Walk-In Clinic By Ambulance Or With A Friend Or Family Member.

Since your doctor will be keeping notes of everything the moment you are in the care of EMTs and when you are admitted to the hospital, it’s crucial to inform them where you’re hurting. No matter how difficult, you also need to describe the degree of pain you’re experiencing, as well as your general condition or feeling.

The notes your doctor keeps about you and your injuries will play a critical role when your insurer reviews your case and if your doctor ever needs to testify on your behalf.

For example, if you sustain a neck injury but you fail to inform your doctor of the intensity of the pain you experience at night so you miss out on sleep, your claim could be questioned. When you claim certain physical stresses you experienced as a result of your injury, you need your doctor to completely corroborate them, including the extent of your suffering and pain.

Don’t ever withhold information that’s related to your injury, even if you think it’s something small or embarrassing. Always tell your doctor the truth, but avoid exaggerating how you feel, too. 

  • Take photos of the scene of the accident with your cell phone or camera in order to visually document your personal injury case and the property damage.
  • Take photos of all vehicle damage and placement of the vehicles, at the point of collision.
  • Take photos right away of your injuries if you are bleeding or show other demonstrative type injuries like bruising, facial lacerations, other lacerations, teeth knocked out, etc. This will prove important when your attorney presents your personal injury case to the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
  • Exchange insurance information and driver’s license with the at-fault driver, if you are physically able to do so or have a witness or passenger do it for you.
  • If the at-fault driver says something to you or if a witness is willing to testify to the facts of the personal injury case, then write down their statements so you can remember it when you speak with your car accident attorney.
  • Get the investigating police officer’s name and badge number. Ask the investigating police officer to give you the Accident Report case number. This will help your attorney locate your traffic accident report and present the facts of your personal injury case.

GET IN TOUCH WITH AN EXPERIENCED PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY ASAP

When you figure in a traffic-related accident, don’t delay – call an experienced personal injury attorney right away. With a seasoned attorney by your side, you can get as much as three times more compensation than when you try to deal with the legalities and paperwork on your own. Having a highly experienced attorney also means you’ll be asserting all your legal rights and you can reasonably expect to receive maximum compensation for your injury.

You can count on Allen Accident Law to work diligently and faithfully pursue the case on your behalf until you get the compensation you deserve – whether it’s in the form of medical costs, lost wages or other types of damages.

Keep A Diary Of Your Personal Injury Case

After a client has been checked out by the applicable doctors, I will encourage my clients to keep a diary on their personal injury case. I instruct my clients in a personal injury case to write in their diary every day, and write down how they feel, when they went to the doctor, when they went to physical therapy and other noteworthy daily experiences related to their personal injury case. One year from now, you may not be able to remember what happened in your personal injury case, so a diary will protect your memories.

Don’t Miss Doctor’s Appointments Or Physical Therapy Appointments.

When it comes to your dealings with your doctor, consider these tips:

  • Always follow your doctor’s instructions. You need to take whatever recovery steps are necessary to help you recover from your injury. Omitting an exercise or not taking the required medications could significantly limit the liability of the negligent party. If you claim for lengthy recovery time affecting your ability to work but are found to have been negligent by not strictly following your doctor’s orders, you might end up being found at fault.
  • Do not miss any doctor’s appointments or therapy sessions. If you do not keep your appointments, your treating physicians will not be able to document your injuries and treatment. This will seriously hurt your legal personal injury case in the long run and also will prevent you from improving your medical condition.
  • Work on building a good relationship with your doctor. When it comes to the nature and extent of your injuries sustained in a traffic-related accident, as well as the negative consequences of these on your life, your doctor could be the most important witness who can corroborate your claims and testify on your behalf. So, aside from following their instructions to the letter, work on developing rapport with your doctor, as building and proving your case rests on their testimony.
  • Ask your doctor to give you written requests to not go to work. Not all employers require employees to submit written requests or excuses in case their staff are unable to go to work due to an injury sustained from a vehicular accident. However, if lost salaries or wages are part of the compensation you are entitled to, the written requests issued by your doctor can serve as proof or documentation of the time you had to miss work due to your injury.

Stay In Touch On Your Personal Injury Case With Your Attorney (Communication Is Key In A Personal Injury Case)

I like to keep in constant contact with my clients, either by phone, text or email. It is important that your car accident attorney, in a personal injury case, know how you are doing and if anything about your situation has changed. Oftentimes, you will need a referral to a specialist and if I, handling your personal injury case do not know that, then  I will not know that you need to see another doctor or have a test performed like an MRI, for example.

At the end of your case, I will have a long conference with your doctor to see how your entire treatment progressed and what was the final outcome in your personal injury case. Your doctor will frequently give his or her opinion as to future medical treatment and care. Your doctor may have an opinion in your personal injury case about your work life: whether your injuries will allow you to continue working in your chosen field or whether you need to find a more sedentary line of work or career.

Do Not Talk To Anyone Else About Your Case.

It is important to keep your personal injury case confidential between you, me and your treating physicians. You do not want to talk to the other driver or the other driver’s insurance company without your car accident attorney being there to protect you from mistakes.

NEVER POST ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CASE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Today, people are notorious for posting anything and everything about their lives on social media, including their purchases, trips, achievements, complaints and problems.

However, to ensure you don’t hurt your chances of getting fair compensation, do not ever post anything about your personal injury case on social media. It doesn’t matter if you’re about to submit your injury claim, the case is still pending or if the negligent party has expressed a desire to negotiate or settle.

Remember, you’re not supposed to discuss any details of your case with anyone other than your attorney and physician.

Also, note that both the at-fault party and insurers will be on the lookout for social media posts where you talk about your case. Posting anything about it could hurt your legal claim or diminish the severity of your case.

In Closing, Communication Is Key To Having A Good Relationship With Your Car Accident Attorney. 

Your personal injury attorney needs to know everything about you, so that he can present a truthful and detailed report to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Do not try to hide anything from your attorney about you or your personal injury case. As personal injury attorneys, we need to know if you have had prior accidents and/or prior injuries. Do not try to hide this, it is very important information in order to fully represent you in your personal injury case, as well as information that your treating doctor will need in order to properly treat you.

The at-fault driver’s insurance company will know how many accidents you have been in as they all have indexing and software programs that will pull up your prior accidents and prior injuries. Don’t be untruthful to your own car accident attorney or he will be surprised by the at-fault driver’s insurance company information on your personal injury case. A lot of things can be found out in a personal injury case via computer and software. Be aware of this.

If you plan to pursue a personal injury case, or for anything personal injury-related, please get in touch with Allen Accident Law.


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