If you have been harmed in an accident, you may not want to consider pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. However, the harsh fact is that your injury is costing you money in terms of missed earnings and medical expenses. Your injury may have caused you trauma and limited – or perhaps eliminated – your ability to pursue your favorite pastimes.
To obtain the financial assistance you require and deserve, you will need to take legal action. The good news is that a personal injury lawyer in Cedar Rapids can take the load of difficult legal work off your shoulders and provide sound, strategic advice on how to proceed. That begins with some measures that an injured party should take if they believe they have a personal injury claim.
Get prompt medical attention.
If the injury was severe, this would be visible. But there are other injuries where its gravity does not show up till after the event. An automobile collision is an excellent example of this. Back and neck issues are not usually obvious. Concussions can have serious consequences even after they occur. A person may walk away from an accident feeling they are right, but in reality, they are not.
Of course, the primary reason to seek medical assistance is to look after one’s health. However, there are also valid legal grounds. A defendant’s insurance company may attempt to undermine a case by claiming that the plaintiff’s injuries are not directly related to the accident. Proving this connection – or causation, to use legal terminology – is critical to obtaining a fair financial settlement. A doctor’s report completed immediately following the accident might be a useful piece of evidence for the wounded plaintiff.
Document everything
Assuming one is physically capable, acquiring evidence at the scene of an accident is tremendously beneficial. Take smartphone photos of everything. Even if you don’t think it’s essential, take the photos and have your attorney comb them out, looking for methods to establish what happened. Gather the phone numbers of witnesses so that your lawyer may follow up with them. Then, make sure the medical bills and other financial costs are saved for when it comes time to negotiate a final settlement amount.
Do not talk about the accident.
Maintain silence, at least in public. Do not share images on social media or via group text. Do not even reassure everyone that you are fine. We understand that it is natural to want to console our friends. However, if the attorneys of an insurance company come across those terms, they may be interpreted incorrectly. They may be used to indicate that your injuries are minor or were not caused by the accident. We are not implying that an injured plaintiff cannot engage in a basic discourse with people closest to them. However, sweeping pronouncements on public forums, or even in group settings, should be avoided.