If you were hurt in an accident, you might need to make a personal injury claim to get compensation from the person or organization that caused the accident. However, it may seem too complicated if you’ve never made a personal injury claim before. Additionally, if you have ever filed a personal injury claim, you would know that trial and error is not a good approach.
We’ve given you a step-by-step guide to submitting a personal injury claim so you can better understand the procedure. Let’s take a look.
Step 1: Seeking Medical treatment
The most important action following an accident-related injury is to seek medical attention. Some people believe there is no need for an examination because they don’t have any acute symptoms following the mishap. Even though you might not have any pain or discomfort immediately after the injury, you might experience severe discomfort a year later.
Additionally, skipping medical care will hurt your chances of receiving financial compensation for your injuries. The insurance companies for the negligent party will utilize the fact that you delayed seeking medical attention after the accident to cast doubt on the severity of your injuries and your right to reimbursement.
Step 2: Speak with an Expert Personal Injury Lawyer
You may be able to resolve minor personal injury claims on your own in some cases. For instance, if you get involved in a minor accident, and you didn’t get hurt or only need to go to the hospital once.
However, suppose you were involved in a serious accident, and your injuries require continuous care or repeated hospital visits. A personal injury lawyer for accident victims can help you recover the full cost of your medical care, and most work on contingency fees meaning you won’t need to pay any money upfront.
Even if you decide against hiring one, you should at the very least speak with one about your claim. You might not be aware of some conditions, such as the statute of limitations, which sets a cap on the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit.
Step 3: Making a Claim
The third stage of making a personal injury claim is notifying the responsible party about your injuries and their insurance provider that you plan to make a claim. This can occasionally facilitate a speedy resolution of your claim.
Step 4: Collecting Information and Receiving Medical Attention for Your Injuries
Collect your medical records and bills from your doctors, consult with your physician to determine the full degree of your injuries. Find out what additional medical care you may need, gather bills, get estimates for any damage to your car or personal property, etc.
Step 5: Negotiating a settlement
Before or after filing a lawsuit, your attorney may issue a demand for payment to the at-fault party or their insurance provider.
Each side has a different estimation of how much your claim is worth. The insurance company, the respondent, knows how much (or how little) they want to pay, and you, the claimant, know how much you are willing to accept. To obtain an acceptable settlement for both parties, you engage in a “back and forth” process of offers and counteroffers up until a compromise is made or a lawsuit is filed, and the matter goes to trial.
Step 6: A settlement is reached, or litigation is initiated
You and your lawyer will accept the offer if your negotiations have resulted in a settlement that you are satisfied with. However, you may choose to file a lawsuit to request the amount of compensation you might want.
Step 7: File a lawsuit.
Many personal injury lawsuits are settled without going to trial. However, a lawsuit will be required if the discussions do not result in a settlement. You’ll be able to make wiser judgments and improve your chances of winning your injury case if you have a better understanding of the trial procedure.
Conclusion
If you have specific questions about the process of filing a personal injury claim, you should get in touch with a qualified personal injury lawyer. They can assist you in preparing and submitting your claim for compensation.