6 Tips to Maximize Your Personal Injury Claim
Personal Injury - June 22, 2020 by Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates
If you or somebody you love has been injured due to the negligent actions of another person, business, or entity, you should be able to recover compensation for your losses. While it may seem like common sense that you should receive compensation for all of your losses automatically, insurance carriers work tirelessly to reduce the amount of money they payout in a settlement. However, there are steps you can take to help maximize your personal injury settlement and to ensure that your personal injury insurance claim is not denied. If your insurance claim was denied, check out these top reasons for an insurance claim denial to avoid these mistakes.
Make sure you do the following to help your personal injury claim
In order to gain maximum compensation for your claim, the following steps will prove to be incredibly beneficial.
1. Seek immediate medical treatment
As soon as you have sustained an injury caused by the negligence of another person, you need to seek medical assistance at the hospital or at a doctor’s office. Seek medical care even if your injuries seem relatively minor. A doctor needs to be the one to make a determination of the extent of your injuries. By seeking medical care immediately after an incident, you are establishing a clear link between your injuries and the negligent actions that caused them.
2. Preserve as much evidence as possible
As much as possible, you should preserve evidence related to the case. This includes any photos taken at the scene of the accident of damages and injuries involved. You need to get the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses to the incident. For a car accident claim, you need the names, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information of other drivers involved. You will want to get a copy of any accident reports as soon as they are available.
3. Properly calculate your total losses
Many accident victims underestimate the total value of their claim because they do not think about all the expenses they are incurring due to their injuries. This includes all medical expenses (all treatment, rehabilitation, prescription medications, physical therapy, medical devices, etc.). However, your losses may also include out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages if you cannot work, lost future earnings if your injuries prevent you from returning to the same job, and more. Do not forget that non-economic pain and suffering damages may also be available for your claim.
4. Do not jump at the first settlement offer
It can be tempting to want to take an early settlement offer made by the at-fault party’s insurance carrier. However, please understand that the initial settlement offer is likely far below what you should be receiving for your claim.
5. Speak to an attorney as soon as possible
You lose nothing by speaking to a skilled Chicago personal injury attorney that offers a free consultation. What you may find is that an attorney sees elements of your case that you were not aware of that can help obtain a far larger settlement. The good thing about an experienced personal injury attorney is that they will likely take your case on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront or out-of-pocket costs. In these cases, you would only owe legal fees after your attorney obtains a fair settlement or verdict on your behalf.
6. Continue all medical treatment
You need to continue following all treatment plans prescribed by your doctor until they have determined you have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI). If you choose to discontinue your medical treatment, the at-fault party’s insurance carrier could use this as a reason to deny your claim or pay a much lower settlement.
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