If you are injured as a result of an accident and you believe that it was someone else’s fault, you are eligible to get compensation. The main issue here is that you need to prove fault in an accident so that you get a fair settlement. You will be entitled to get compensation for the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income
- Treatment expenses
The money you get for compensation depends on several things. There are different things that you should do if you want to get the compensation you deserve. Read on to learn all you ever wanted to know about personal injury claims.
Get Medication
The first thing that you should do after an accident is to seek medication. Even if you have no physical injuries, it is essential to visit a doctor and obtain a medical report. Internal injuries can manifest later, so you should be on the safe side. Your lawyer will go through your medical records to determine the compensation you deserve.
Hire a Professional Injury Attorney
One thing that you should know is that insurance companies are in the business of making money from their operations. Expert injury lawyers at https://www.kazlaw.ca/icbc-lawyers/ explain that dealing with insurance companies is not very easy since they are concerned about their interests more than anything else. If you hire a professional attorney, you get peace of mind since they have the experience, and they also know how to handle such cases.
Report to the Police
If you are involved in a car accident, you should report the matter to the police who may also attend the scene to compile their report. You should get a police report which is very important in a compensation claim following an accident. You also need to report to your insurance company so that they can deploy an adjuster to evaluate the extent of your injuries and damage to property to determine the amount they can compensate.
Document Everything
It is critical to document everything at the accident scene and use this evidence to support your case. You can take images with your phone or record a short video that you can use if the wrongdoer denies responsibility for the accident. This kind of evidence is indisputable, and it helps improve your chances of winning your case. You also need to compile a report from the witnesses to help you gather all the necessary details.
Negotiating Settlement
One of the major roles of your injury lawyer is to negotiate a settlement. Depending on the severity of your injuries, some injury claims are settled as soon as the parties involved reach an agreement. This will prevent the long winding route of trial.
Your lawyer has to make a demand when you reach a specific point of recovery, and you are out of danger. It may be difficult for the lawyer to determine how much the case is worth if the client has not reached the maximum medical improvement.
Trial
If you fail to settle with the other party involved, your lawyer can file for a personal injury lawsuit. The trial period of such cases is usually long and it can take up to two years. You should not expect quick results since the procedure can be winding. With the help of your lawyer, you should also know that you have a statute of limitations where you should file your claim before a certain period. The statutes of limitations often vary from state to state.
Payment For Legal Services
You may also be wondering about how you will pay for the legal services rendered by your attorney. Reputable law firms work on a contingency basis implying that they get a percentage of the money that you receive at the end of the claim. This means that you will not pay anything until you win your case. The percentages differ according to the type of case and degree of injuries. The attorneys typically charge between 15% and 30% of the total settlement that you will get.
Personal injuries are common, and they lead to pain and loss of income to the victim. If you believe that your injury was caused by another person’s fault or negligence, then you are entitled to get compensation. However, it is not so easy to get the compensation you deserve since insurance companies seek to maximize their profitability. It is vital to enlist the services of an injury attorney to help you get the fair settlement that you deserve.