If you have been injured in any kind of accident which has been caused by someone else’s negligent actions, you may be able to recover most, if not all of the financial costs of those injuries. It can amount to a lot more than you ever expected.
It may include medical bills, transport costs, if you have been involved in a car crash, repair bills and loss of earnings. All of these may be recovered if you can make a successful personal injury claim against the person who was at fault.
It is likely that you will need a competent and experienced personal injury attorney to help you process the claim and negotiate with the defendant and his or her insurance adjuster. Here are some tips to help you maintain a working relationship with your chosen attorney.
Tip#1: Choose an Attorney Who Will Suit Your Needs
It is worth taking time to choose an attorney who will actively pursue your claim as well as be someone that you can communicate with easily. The better you get on with your attorney the ore likely that you will have a successful outcome. When choosing an attorney you will first consider their legal expertise.
If you had an accident involving a truck, for instance, you will be better off with an attorney who has had truck accident experience before. You will also want to know how successful the attorney has been with similar cases.
Usually, a personal injury attorney will provide a free consultation in which you can discuss your accident and the evidence you have that could be of value in proving liability. This is an opportunity to discover how confident you feel about working with this attorney. You are free to try another one if the first doesn’t feel right for you.
Tip#2: Working With an Attorney is a Two Way Process
The more you help your attorney, the more you will get out of the relationship. Don’t expect your attorney to second guess your intentions. Be as open and as honest as you can. Don’t leave anything out as this may lead to disappointment later on.
If you know that you were partly to blame for an accident, for instance, explain this before it is brought up by the person you are claiming compensation from. In many states, contributory negligence means that you may still be able to claim a portion of compensation.
Tip#3: Ensure That You Provide as Much Evidence as You Can
Your attorney will be depending on you to provide at least some of the evidence that will help you to prove your case. No personal injury claim has any chance of success unless negligence can be proven and linked to your injuries.
Your attorney may give you a list of documents that you will need to provide, but there are other things that you can do by yourself. At the time of the accident, if your injuries are not so severe that you are unable to move, you could take photos of the damage to the vehicles involved, assuming that it is a vehicle accident.
You may be able to talk to people who saw what happened and are prepared to either give a written account or a verbal one (a voice recorder on your cell phone can be used here).
The police report of the accident, medical bills, doctors’ reports, statements from your employer, invoices showing repair bills to your car. These are all things which can be obtained by you and given to your attorney to work with.
Tip#4: Trust Your Attorney to Be On Your Side
Personal injury attorneys have a lot of experience of accidents and injured victims. Give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their opinions, advice and decisions. Trying to negotiate with insurance adjusters and lawyers working for the defendant on your own can be full of potential pitfalls. Trust your attorney to be on your side.
