Being financially compensated after a personal injury is about “making you whole” and is not intended to make you rich. Sensational advertisements from litigation attorneys frequently tell the story of a financial recovery in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars and they never mention how bad the injuries were, how much time and money they lost as a result of their injury or the short- or long-term impact on the victim of their family. Telling that portion of the story would make the advertisement far less effective.
Gaining compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or settlement holds the negligent party accountable for their actions and works to help you recover as much of your actual loss as possible. Since there are no “do overs” after an injury, receiving monetary damages is essential after being injured. Compensation allows you to pay medical and other bills while you cannot work along with the short-term and long-term pain and suffering you are dealing with that otherwise would not have happened. Receiving the maximum compensation to which you are entitled may mean the difference between struggling financially during your recovery and meeting your obligations without difficulty. The reality is that no financial recovery is ever guaranteed.
As personal injury lawyers, we know that our clients can do certain things to increase or decrease their chances of receiving maximum compensation. We have never met a client who wanted to receive less compensation so here is some of the guidance and recommendations we provide.
- Get immediate medical care and follow up as directed by your provider. We advise seeking medical attention right away and follow the advice given to you by your doctors.
- Don’t rely on how you feel after a crash to decide when to seek treatment. Even if you’re certain there is no possibility you could have suffered any injury the best advice is to visit a hospital or doctor’s office as soon as you can after an accident.
- After seeking medical care, follow directions to the letter. If you’re given physical activity restrictions, follow those restrictions. Take prescribed medications. If you are told to return for follow-ups and evaluation, keep these appointments.
- Take your injuries seriously. When you fail to do this the negligent party may argue that you are partly to blame for your injuries and limitations.
- Keep Meticulous Records About Your Injuries. It is our role to prove negligence was the cause of your injuries and we must also prove the extent of harm. The better you are at keeping records, the easier this will be.
- You should keep any hospital bills, repair invoices, prescription drug receipts, and other documentation of your expenses after a crash. Keep track of the time you missed from work because of your injuries.
- Obtaining maximum compensation includes non-economic damages designed to compensate you for your mental and physical suffering. To document these losses, personal injury lawyers suggest keeping a daily journal in which you record your feelings. This can assist them in quantifying your non-economic damages.
- Obtain legal representation as soon as possible after your accident.
Your ultimate compensation claim is as strong as the evidence to support it. Witnesses may disappear, they may forget and other evidence may be lost. We work to preserve the available evidence and witness testimony needed to support your claim. Often times this gives you the advantage you need to obtain your maximum compensation.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com We would be honored to represent you!
