What To Do If You've Suffered A Personal Injury

Written By Emma Sturgis / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

In the moments following an accident or any type of injury, you will probably feel confused, flustered, and overwhelmed - if you are even conscious. After the adrenaline rush, the pain sets in. In any given year, about 39.5 million Americans visit their doctors for personal injuries. Another 24.5 million make ER visits.

While some of these accidents are minor, others are more severe, with some even leading to permanent disability. If you are experiencing a disability as a result of a personal injury, there are a few things you need to do if you want to seek any sort of compensation.

Seek Medical Assistance

Immediately seek medical assistance. Keep all hospital and doctor's office records on hand from your personal injury. Then, you might want to find some personal injury doctors in your area who can specialize in treating your injury.

Bear in mind that soft tissue or brain injuries might not show symptoms for days or even weeks. A doctor should thoroughly examine you to ensure that you have not sustained either of these types of injuries since they can become more severe over time if not treated.

Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

Take all of your documentation to a skilled personal injury lawyer. Once you have given them the details, a lawyer can tell you whether you have a plausible personal injury claim. Many personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations and work with clients on a contingency basis. This means that they only get paid if you get paid, and their cut comes out of your settlement amount.

Be Active in the Investigation

After hiring your lawyer, they will initiate an investigation in order to prove that your injuries directly resulted from someone else's negligence or malicious intent. Accident reconstruction specialists often work with personal injury lawyers in order to reconstruct the events of an accident.

But, in order for them to do so, you have to be in contact with your lawyer, providing them pertinent information on your case. Even though this might seem like a daunting task, it is worth it, and your lawyer is there to do the bulk of the work.

Pursue Compensation

Once your lawyer has determined the plausibility of your claim, they can help you decide what type of compensation to pursue. You do have a few options to consider. The most common things people with personal injury claims seek compensation for include:

• Doctor visits
• Medical equipment
• Medications
• Lost wages
• Lost companionship
• Home-based care
• Funeral expenses (if a loved one died as a result of a personal injury)
• Punitive damages
• Pain and suffering

Take it one step at a time. Keep all documentation handy for your lawyer and trust them to do the bulk of the work for you when filing a personal injury claim. Be honest and upfront with all information, and listen to the advice of your knowledgeable and experienced lawyer.

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Written By:

Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based out of Boston, Mass. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels