Client: Burke, Harvey & Frankowski
Copyright 2008 Burke, Harvey & Frankowski
Personal Injury
If you have been injured psychologically or physically as the result of someone else's carelessness, you may be entitled to receive monetary compensation for those injuries. Filing for this type of compensation is called a personal injury claim.
Take Notes
After any accident or injury, it is important that you write down everything you can remember about the incident. What happened before, during and after the incident that resulted in the claim? Include as many details about your surroundings, the type of day it was, how you felt and anything else you feel may be important.
What were the injuries that you suffered and how have they affected you since the incident? Include details about doctor visits, work, personal life, social life and any changes in your daily routines as a result of your injuries.
Personal injury cases can last for many months, even a year or longer. As time passes, your memory can get fuzzy and you may lose the accuracy of some important details. Having a written account of the incident will prevent any question as to what actually took place. It is difficult to care about or even want to write down all of these details. But, it will help you in the long run and help to clarify and prove your case when the time comes to re-hash everything that happened during the incident that initially caused your injury.
Preserve Evidence
If you suffer any injury that is the result of someone else's carelessness or disregard for your well-being, any physical evidence you may be able to provide will assist in proving and winning your case. The sooner this is done the better before anything about the scene is altered, evidence is misplaced or memories become unreliable. Some physical evidence you should keep is:
� Photographs showing visible damage to your body, equipment, vehicle and scene where the incident took place.
� Torn, ripped or otherwise damaged clothing
� Broken equipment - the item, instructions, warnings, labels and packaging, original sales receipt if possible
� Relevant documents - accident report, medical records and bills, work incident reports, police reports for initial determination of fault and additional details about the scene, date and time, estimates, repair costs
� Witness names, contact information and version of the incident
Contact an Attorney
As soon as possible, after the incident, contact an attorney and set up a meeting. Even if your case never turns into a legal battle, it is good to get advice on how to handle everything and a personal injury lawyer can tell you everything you need to know and expect from your case. Most legal firms offer a free initial consultation during which you can familiarize yourself with the lawyer and what you can expect if you do file a claim.
The lawyer will want to know all of the details surrounding your case and will ask you all relevant questions for him/her to be able to help you. If you arrive prepared, you will not only move the process along faster, but it will help your legal representative to be sure they know all of the facts surrounding your case and that they can represent you fully and to the best of their ability.
If you feel that you have grounds to file a personal injury claim, contact a lawyer as soon as possible to get the representation and care you are entitled to as a result of your injuries.