Have you been involved in a car accident? If yes, you need to take legal action against the driver responsible for causing the crash. If their negligence caused the accident, you could be entitled to compensation. Because the compensation claim process takes a little while and involves negotiating with insurance companies, you should hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you. A personal injury lawyer will leverage their knowledge and expertise of the law to get you the settlement that you deserve. This post will explore this topic in more detail, telling you everything you need to know about hiring an attorney and claiming compensation.
1. Finding Legal Representation
The reason that you need legal representation if you want to make a claim for compensation is because insurance companies try to argue people’s claims down. The claim process itself is relatively simple and involves the submission of forms and paperwork, both easily obtainable. However, insurance adjusters are very difficult to negotiate with and are paid to minimize the amount of compensation that people are awarded. The experts from one car accident law firm in Denver make it clear on their site that if you want the maximum amount of compensation, you need to hire a personal injury lawyer with experience to help you. The more experienced at negotiating a lawyer is, the quicker they will be able to get you a settlement amount you are happy with.
2. Understanding What Compensation Claims Entail
Before entering into a personal injury claim, you need to take some time to understand what claims for compensation entail. The first thing to know is that they can be very stressful. Most people think that personal injury claims are resolved relatively quickly, but this isn’t true. They can take upwards of a year to resolve, depending on the severity of the injuries sustained by the claimant. In addition to taking a long time to resolve, claimants typically have to sit down with their attorneys several times to explain their accidents. Sometimes they have to rewatch videos taken of their accident, also. However, by finding a good lawyer, the stress of personal injury claims will be minimized. Don’t compromise on quality when it comes to your legal defense.
3. Providing As Much Evidence as You Can
If you want to make a claim for compensation, you need to provide as much supporting evidence as possible. The more evidence you provide to support your claim, the greater your chances of receiving compensation are. It’s not always easy to obtain evidence to support a person’s personal injury claim, but it does help. The best type of evidence is photo or video evidence from the scene of the accident. Photo or video evidence from the accident that shows how you were injured, the responsible driver, and the scene itself can come in very handy. The more evidence you present, the less likely insurance adjusters are going to be, to be able to argue down the amount of compensation that you receive. If you do not have evidence, your lawyer will likely hire an investigator. It’s also worth noting that if the responsible driver admits guilt, evidence is unnecessary. Then, all you need is a medical certificate.
4. Remaining Consistent, Truthful, and Honest
You need to remain consistent, truthful, and honest. Changing your story or telling lies will lead to your claim being completely dismissed. Insurance companies are unforgiving when it comes to deceit. It’s worth noting that if you exaggerate your injuries for a higher amount of compensation (which is sadly common among personal injury claimants), and you are discovered to be doing this, you could be arrested and charged with fraud. Whilst it’s unlikely that you will be arrested for fraud, your attorney will almost definitely drop you as a client and the insurance company they have been negotiating with will dismiss your claim. Make sure that any witnesses you provide are truthful, too. It’s common for people’s friends to exaggerate so that they are awarded compensation. However, when people’s witnesses do this, it causes more harm than good and jeopardizes people’s claims.
5. Having Patience
Patience is very important. If you are an impatient person, the personal injury claim process is going to drive you mad. As mentioned above, some claims can take a year or more to be resolved. Generally speaking, the higher the amount of compensation you are claiming, the longer you are going to have to wait. Fortunately, all medical expenses you incur during the interim between your receiving your injuries and your getting your payout will be covered, so you can go ahead and seek medical support. You may also want to apply for disability benefits to tide you over financially until you are paid compensation. If you plan on applying for disability benefits, you will be pleased to know that your lawyer will most likely be able to help you make your application. If not, there are guides and tutorials online that you can use. You will have to undergo a physical examination before you can be awarded a disability benefit.
6. Receiving Your Payout
You could have to wait a while to receive your payout. You need to make sure that during this period, you occupy yourself. Occupying yourself can ease the mental suffering typically experienced by people who are waiting for compensation payments. It can be difficult sitting around doing nothing, waiting to receive a final say on your claim. Disability benefits can help you to financially support yourself in the meantime. Make sure that you prioritize your recovery more than anything else. Appearing to be focusing on your recovery can make your claim look a lot better, also. If you claim to have received injuries, and then do nothing to treat them, insurance companies are going to be hesitant when it comes to awarding you the full settlement. Give all records of treatment to your lawyer so they can submit them as part of your claim.
Personal injury claims can be stressful. However, if you have been injured due to another person’s negligence, they are a necessary evil. Claims can help you to get the financial support you need after an accident, ensuring you receive quality healthcare and can support yourself whilst out of work.
