English
EspañolIf someone’s action or neglect has injured you, you may become overwhelmed and frustrated with your situation. When your life has been suddenly upended, the last thing you may want to do is file a personal injury claim. However, an experienced lawyer in Huntsville, TX, can help you receive the financial compensation you deserve for your injury.
How Can You Get the Most Money From a Personal Injury Claim in Huntsville, TX ?
In addition to working with a successful lawyer, there are numerous ways to increase the compensation you receive from your injury claim. While it can be tempting to ignore the following actions, keep in mind that your body isn’t the only thing that ends up hurting when you’re injured. Your wallet also ends up bruised as you pay for the medical care and medications needed to treat your injury.
Keep Notes
As soon as possible, write down what happened before, during, and after the incident. While you may not be able to do this immediately if your injury is severe, do it the moment you are able. If you cannot physically write, ask a friend, family member, or your lawyer to transcribe your recollection of events as you dictate it to them. As time passes, the event will become harder to remember, and you might forget details that could be vital in securing your compensation.
For example, if you remember your supervisor questioning the structural integrity of a ladder before instructing you to use it, that is a detail that your lawyer needs to know. Or if the driver that hit you admitted to “only looking at their phone for a second,” you’ll want that recorded if their insurance provider tries to deny coverage for the damages you suffered. You won’t regret extensive note-taking. It could end up ensuring you receive additional financial compensation.
Take Photographs
A picture can be worth much more than a thousand words when seeking financial restitution. Capture photographs at the accident scene of property damages and your injuries. Even as your body heals, continue documenting your progress through pictures. If you encounter setbacks such as infections or adverse reactions to medication, take photographs of these incidents.
If your case is taken to court, having photographic evidence allows the jurors to understand what you have experienced fully. It will be difficult for the responsible party to deny the severity of an accident and injury when a trail of photographs shows the truth.
Keep a Log of Your Discomfort
The party responsible for your injury isn’t only accountable for your medical expenses and lost wages. They can also be accountable for your pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life. In some cases, it will be months before you state the impact of the injury you suffered. However, keeping a daily record prevents you from forgetting the amount of pain you were in and the suffering you experienced, especially if you are beginning to heal.
This log should be updated daily and contain information regarding your physical condition, any medications that are taken, and your psychological state. Don’t be afraid to detail the frustrations and sadness you experience due to your injury or struggles during rehabilitation. Even ailments that may seem minor, such as headaches or fatigue, should be recorded.
Be Honest with Your Doctor
Sometimes you may feel as if you should put on a brave face with your doctor, but that is not the case and could damage your chances of receiving financial compensation. Don’t minimize your pain or the difficulties you experience. Your medical care providers take notes on what you say to them, so honestly share your issues with them.
As an example, if you refrain from sharing your actual condition with your doctors, they won’t have any records of your ongoing back pain. Should the other party’s insurance company request your medical records and see there is no mention of the back pain you state is limiting your quality of life, it will hurt your claim.
Listen to Your Doctor
Every limitation and direction your doctor gave you is noted in your medical records. You can be blamed for your poor recovery when you act against medical instruction, even if it’s something as innocuous as returning to work early.
The same thing applies to practitioners such as physical and occupational therapists. If they give you a regimen to follow that you ignore, any ongoing medical problems will be blamed on you. Keep in mind, the responsible party’s insurer will eventually access your records. So make sure there isn’t anything in them that could hurt your chances of getting the compensation you need.
Build a Good Relationship with Your Doctor
Your medical care provider will have the most powerful testimony besides yours. If you have a harmonious relationship with them, they will want their testimony to help you. Alternatively, if you are unpleasant and rude to your care provider, they will be apathetic towards your case and provide the bare minimum required.
Keep Your Appointments
An essential component of staying in your care provider’s good graces is respecting their time. Don’t miss your medical appointments, as each one is noted in your file, and your absence can make it appear as if you don’t need medical care. If you cannot make the appointment, call the office to reschedule.
Get Medical Work Excuses
Even if you know that the time you took off work was due to injury, you’ll have to prove it to an insurer or a jury. Since lost wages are a critical factor in personal injury claims, you need to show that your absence from work was a direct result of your injury.
Make sure you ask your care provider for a note that excuses you from work or details the accommodations you must be allowed to perform your job. While your employer may not require the documentation, this record will be valuable in getting you the most money from your claim.
Tell the Truth
A false testimony can eliminate your chances of financial compensation. Unfortunately, most people think of false testimony as telling outright falsehoods, but in reality, exaggerating is damaging to your claim. For example, don’t say you haven’t been able to move from the couch if you’ve been going grocery shopping every week. If the responsible party hires a private investigator to monitor you, you don’t want to hurt your credibility.
Use Social Media Wisely
Make sure your social media profiles don’t damage your claim. If you are claiming financial hardship, pictures of you at theme parks or on expensive vacations will make your claim seem dubious. Take care, not only with your posts but also with friends, since being tagged or shown in a friend’s post or photo can hurt you as much as if you posted the material yourself.
If you find yourself enduring an injury caused by another individual, you need the support of an expert. With an experienced lawyer handling your claim, you’ll be able to focus on recovering from your injury and recovering your quality of life. Contact Brian Gutierrez in Huntsville, TX today, and find out how he can help you receive the financial compensation you deserve for your injury.
