The first thing most people want to do following a personal injury is stop and assess the situation. Whether you were hurt by a product, injured on the job or you slipped on a puddle of milk in the dairy aisle at Walmart, the last thing you want to do is stop or slow down. You should take immediate action for your own health and for your financial future.
1. Medical Help May be Necessary
The moment you are injured, you need to think of your health first. Don’t be afraid to seek medical advice for seemingly minor injuries. Some minor injuries can turn into major ones over time. And the adrenaline of the original personal injury experience can often mask pain for hours or even days. See your doctor following any injury just to make sure there are no serious problems below the surface.
2. Facts Need to be Gathered
Once your health has been managed, start thinking about the factors that contributed to your injury. If a product led to your being hurt, keep that product sample somewhere safe. If you were injured on the job, determine if the proper precautions were followed and if the proper signage was used. You may have a case for a personal injury claim.
3. People Need to be Interviewed
If there were witnesses, see if those witnesses would be willing to give you a statement, either written or recorded. A smartphone with a camera built in is perfect for just this occasion.
4. Pictures and Video May Need to be Taken or Gathered
If you do have a camera, start collecting photographic and video evidence of every factor that contributed to the accident in question. The idea is to give a judge or jury the proper perspective to judge the case without actually being at the scene. If others took pictures or video evidence of the scene or accident, see if you can have those emailed to you or sent to you via some other means..
5. Paperwork Needs to be In Order
If you are going to file a claim, you need to make sure that you file the proper paperwork with the court, and that all other documentation is in – such as proof of worker’s compensation.
6. Advice Should be Sought
Along with helping you file paperwork, a qualified personal injury attorney can help you navigate the law and fight for your rights. Many people tend to feel incredibly alone immediately following a personal injury experience. A personal injury lawyer will make sure you are armed with the best advice and the guidance to make the right decisions during this trying time.
7. Claims Need to be Filed
In many cases, the time to file a claim for a personal injury case is limited. Speak to a personal injury attorney today about your experience before the time limit to file your claim runs out.
Robert Stone Law Office LLC
907-276-4190