Law

Five Steps to Filing a Personal Injury Claim

Five Steps to Filing a Personal Injury Claim

Once you have been involved in an accident that you weren’t at fault for, you become legally entitled to file a personal injury claim to seek reimbursement for the losses incurred. For any legitimate case filed, there’s always a need to prove the liability or negligence of the party liable for the accident. Once you determine that, then you have a personal injury case. 

Because of your injuries, you are likely to have many medical bills and other expenses you have no idea how to pay for. These damages can be handled by the settlement you get from filing a personal injury claim. To guarantee the success of your claim, you need to choose a representative from among the most skilled personal injury attorneys.

Easy as it may seem, the process of seeking a settlement is complicated. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you clear up any queries you may have about the process of filing a personal injury claim.

Step 1: Get Medical Treatment

You are advised to seek medical help immediately after you have been involved in an accident. Avoid waiting or assuming your injuries are not significant enough; you may not feel any severe symptoms at first, but you still need to get examined just in case you have any internal injuries. You may assume you are fine but then find yourself experiencing serious injury symptoms weeks later.

Similarly, getting immediate medical help will serve as an advantage to your personal injury case when seeking compensation for the injuries you sustained from the accident.

Step 2: Seek a Skilled Personal Injury Lawyer

In some cases, you may not require an attorney, especially if you decide to settle outside of court. But to ensure you get the full settlement you deserve and avoid manipulation by insurance adjusters, you need to find yourself a skilled personal injury attorney.

Contact a lawyer and seek guidance over the facts of your case. There may be some aspects of the incident that you may not have considered before, which your lawyer can help shed some light on.

Step 3: Establishing the Claim

You and your lawyer now need to inform the party liable for the accident about the case you have against them. This process can, in some cases, get your case settled much faster.

Step 4: Building Your Case

This step involves continuing with treatment and therapy, as well as gathering information on your case. This is where you collect invoices for your treatments, medical records, and all relevant documents.

Step 5: Negotiate Your Settlement

After gathering all the relevant evidence and financial records, you and your lawyer can sit for a negotiation meeting with insurance adjusters. Once you’ve estimated how much your claim is worth, you can present it to the other party, who will have their ideas on how much of a settlement they’d like to pay out for your claim. 

A back-and-forth discussion process will ensue where both sides bargain and agree on a settlement amount. If you disagree, you can move the case to trial, where a court will decide on the settlement.

The Key Is to Act Fast

Different states have different statutes of limitations; which is the period of time you have to file a personal injury claim. Ensure you file yours as soon as you can; delaying may prevent you from getting the settlement you ought to receive after the accident.

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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