Filing A Personal Injury Claim: Here’s What You Can Expect

If you’ve been involved in a personal injury, you’ve likely fumbled through the hours of stress and chaos following the accident, struggling to figure out how to get some much-needed assistance. As personal injury claims law has become more and more critical to the everyday lives of Americans, many have opted to turn to personal injury claims lawyers for legal advice regarding how to best proceed.

The first step in filing a claim is to meet with a personal injury claims attorney. It’s important to remember that while you’re suffering. Even if you’re worried your case isn’t strong enough or doesn’t have much merit, he’s obligated to treat every client as though they have a new topic.

That said, the first meeting with your attorney may be one of the most important things you can do for yourself during this time. While many people are familiar with their legal rights, it’s essential to understand the differences between personal injury claims and criminal cases. While a personal injury claim is essentially an insurance claim, a criminal case is more of a civil action.

In other words, if you are arrested for committing a crime and are held in jail, you have the right to be represented by an attorney.

You can expect to be asked about your personal information:

Once the attorney has received a very detailed statement of your case, they will be able to begin working on your paperwork. Depending on the type of injury you’ve suffered and the amount of money requested, this process could take anywhere from a few months to a year. Some personal injury claims include large amounts of money, but most are more minor cases that are taken care of on a fast-track basis.

During your case, it’s essential to remember that the attorney may ask you to sign several documents. While many documents may be pretty standard, others will be much more personal. For example, they may ask you to sign a release form, which will allow them access to certain medical records and other relevant information to your claim. It’s also important to understand that the attorney may ask for a retainer fee upfront.

If you decide to pay the attorney upfront, it’s important to remember that you may not be entitled to any further compensation for the injury if your case is unsuccessful.

You can expect to be asked about your physical condition before the accident:

Another document you may be asked to sign is a medical release form. In many cases, the injured person will be asked to sign this form for their doctors to be able to take part in the case. While this may seem intimidating, it’s important to remember that the legal system places your health and well-being ahead of all other considerations. As long as you’re physically able, it’s recommended that you sign this document and provide all of the required information.

Of course, whether you choose to be represented by a lawyer or not is entirely up to you. By being well-informed about what you can expect, however, you’ll likely be able to focus more time on your recovery and less time on worrying about the details of your case.

If you are not satisfied with your treatment by the medical provider, then get another opinion. Medical providers will be the primary source of the data necessary to establish a negligence claim. As such, they must be able to establish that they have given you appropriate care and have not deviated from a standard of care applicable in your community. Doing this requires that they observe you and take your medical history at no cost to you.

You should definitely expect to be asked about the details of the accident:

You’re likely to be asked to provide information about the day of the accident, including where it occurred and how it happened. You’ll also be asked about your experiences immediately following the accident, including how you feel and how long it took to recover. After the accident, you may be asked to provide details about your injuries, what they feel like and what they cause in terms of symptoms.

You may also be asked to describe any events that may have preceded the accident and other details concerning your overall health. While this information may seem overwhelming, it’s important to remember that the attorneys mainly want a detailed account of your medical history.

Final Thoughts:

Filing a personal injury claim isn’t going to be easy. That said, you can expect your lawyer to be there every step of the way, walking you through each step of the process. As long as you’re able to provide the necessary information about yourself and your case, you’ll likely be able to get compensation for any damages or injuries that have been incurred.

To receive the most information, you should consider speaking with an attorney as soon as possible. Finding a lawyer is not only essential to your claim, but also it is crucial when you are working out your settlement.