Getting injured for any reason can be quite traumatic, especially so if due to the injury, you are left with a heaping pile of debt and cannot work until you have recovered. Not knowing what to do in these situations can be very frustrating and make you feel alone. If you have been injured, the first thing you should do is consult a personal injury attorney at gravesthomas.com as soon as possible. This is because personal injury lawsuits can be very complex and take many months to resolve.
A Personal Injury lawyer can help you understand your rights and help you get compensated for the injuries you sustained during the accident. Also they will make sure that you are treated fairly by the insurance company. You do not have to worry too much though, because you will soon know exactly what are the steps needed to get the settlement you deserve.
Note Any Details from the Accident
While this may seem counterproductive since you have probably gone through the accident already, you need to remember any details that could be helpful when trying to get compensated for the injuries you sustained. For example, whether the accident occurred on work property due to any negligence of a worker or your employer. If you were in a car accident, try to remember the other drivers’ information and the nature of the collision so that you can use them to your advantage.
Get Medical Treatment
This is the most important thing you need to do immediately after any kind of accident. Receiving medical attention is necessary, even if you feel fine directly after the accident. This will ensure that there are no hidden complications that may arise later because you did not seek immediate medical treatment. It can also ensure that you are within your rights to get a claim settlement; seeking medical treatment asap shows the severity of the injury you might receive.
Inform your Employer of Your Injury
According to what state you live in, you need to inform your employer of the accident within a certain period of time. You want to do that as soon as possible to ensure they know that you need time off work to recover from your injuries. If you were in a work-related accident, then it is even more essential to inform your employer so that they can give you the compensation you deserve. An investigation will then start and find out the details of the accident and how much you are due.
Keep Track of Medical Records
Some medical treatments you receive must be fully recorded, including bills, doctors’ reports, x-rays, and so on. This will not only help you find a lawyer to take on your case, but it will also give you a stronger claim and thus a higher settlement. Medical records show how serious your injury is and are used to calculate how much you should be getting for going through this horrible situation.
Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer
Now that you have done all you can do on your own, you need to start looking for a personal injury lawyer near you to take your case on. For example, if you live near Halifax, Nova Scotia, you can start your search by looking for lawyers in the area. If you go on a search engine and type in Personal Injury Lawyers in Halifax, you will get a bunch of results for various law firms. You can narrow down the search further by looking for specific lawyers based on online reviews. You’ll find that Jeff Preszler at Preszler Law of Halifax is a personal injury lawyer that has dealt with numerous cases and therefore this means that this law firm, in particular, has experienced. It’s crucial that you find a lawyer that is well known and has good reviews so that you can guarantee their reliability After conducting your search, you can begin talking to the lawyers you believe are going to get you the best settlement for your trauma, at the most affordable price.
Interview and Investigation
When you contact lawyers, there is no guarantee that they will take on your case. What convinces lawyers to represent you is the interview they will conduct to ask you about all the details of the accident, which as previously mentioned you will need to take note of. They will also investigate your medical records to find out whether your injury and physical or emotional trauma can be built into a valid claim.
Negotiating a Settlement
After the lawyer you contact takes your case on and decides to represent you, the negotiations for a settlement begins. The party responsible for the accident, whether it is work-related or not; will probably have already contacted their insurance company to start going through the process of investigating and building their claim, to find out how much they will have to pay you, or if they can avoid paying you for your injuries. Usually, during this time, you get a fair settlement offered by the insurance company and you can take it and stop there. However, sometimes, insurance companies sweep cases about accidents which caused life-changing under the rug. This is when your lawyer files a lawsuit claim.
Filing a Lawsuit
In this step, your lawyer starts putting together all the documents necessary to build your case into a viable lawsuit that can be filed against the other party. This includes getting witness reports and documents proving your medical treatments and all the hardships you went through due to this accident. This phase is often called the discovery phase, and it is necessary because it gives your lawyer the chance to pursue all available angles. Afterward, your lawyer files the lawsuit through the proper channels.
Mediation Process
After building the case and filing it, another negotiation process begins. This time, however, it is an official process in which attorneys do the talking, trying to reach a settlement that both parties agree to amiably. This is usually done with a third objective party present to ensure that the compromise reached is as fair as possible. If this does not work, then the claim moves to the next step. This step does not always occur but is often suggested by one of the parties’ lawyers.
Trial
This is the final step in a claim settlement. The trial is conducted in court, with a judge ruling between the parties involved in the case being presented. This is the last resort because it takes the longest time to resolve the case when it goes to trial, which is not the best if you want to receive a settlement as soon as possible.
Now you have a clear idea of how the claim process after an accident or an injury occurs. Don’t forget to consult a professional to ensure that you are heading in the right direction and do as much research as possible before settling on the best lawyer to represent you.
