March 28, 2024

7 Top Tips to Get the Most from Your Personal Injury Settlement

People may daydream about winning a large settlement from a personal injury lawsuit. At the end of the day, however, most people do not want to ever need to talk to a personal injury lawyer. If you have been involved in an accident, suffered from slip and fall injuries, or been the victim of medical malpractice, you can do certain things to make sure you get the settlement you deserve.

  1. Hold on to whatever evidence you can get. You will make your personal injury lawyer’s job a lot easier if you can get images and video of your accident or what your vehicle looks like afterward. If a police report was taken, get a copy. If you fell at a business, see if there is security video of that. Track down, witnesses. Research other problems with the medical provider or the hospital. If you were mistreated at the hands of medical professionals, you can bet you are not the first person to suffer this way.
  2. Be treated for your injuries. There are times when people think that they should wait to get treated for injuries they sustained in a motor vehicle accident or after a fall. They think they will look more injured to the court but this thinking does not really help. Courts from upon doing this sort of thing. Also, doctors need to get started right away on your injuries. If you even suspect you will have a lawsuit when you go to the emergency room or urgent care center, let the medical professionals who see you that you plan to take legal action. Also, sign a release so that your personal injury lawyer can get access to your medical treatment.
  3. Do not dilly dally when it comes to filing. The laws vary from state to state in personal injury cases. There may be a short time frame in which you have to get your case filed if you want it to be valid. If you wait too long, you may not be able to get anything. By filing earlier than later, you will have more time to get your case together and collect the evidence you need to get a better settlement.
  4. Do not talk about your case on your social media channels. You may love Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook but these are not places to go to vent about your personal injury case. Nor is it the place to put any posts or images that may contradict your statements about your injuries. The other side is going to look for any reason they can find to show that you are not injured or that you do not deserve the settlement you want. Do not give them ammunition by posting a ton on social media about your case or showing you dancing when you have injuries that would prevent that.
  5. Go to all medical appointments. You may feel decent enough to skip a doctor’s appointment or visit with the physical therapist but do not do this. You need to follow your doctor’s advice to the letter to prevent the other side from claiming that your injuries are not as bad as you say they are.
  6. Save your receipts and records. If you need to take a Lyft or Uber to a medical appointment, keep the receipt. You may think that you are in so much pain that you will never forget it but as time passes your memories of this will fade. Keep a notebook of everything you are going through. It can help your personal injury lawyer make your case for you.
  7. Pay attention to all of your losses as you recover. Your injuries may cause you to miss work, require you to pay for your treatment, and you may be in a lot of pain. When you work with your personal injury lawyer, bring up all of this so you can factor all of your losses when determining what your settlement should be.

The lawsuit process is never a lot of fun. These tips will help you and your personal injury lawyer get you what you need to recover from your injuries and get your life back.

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