Philadelphia, PA - While sustaining an injury that’s due to an individual or organization’s negligence or recklessness won’t be a good experience to go through, you can at least file for damages to claim compensation that covers the cost of things like loss of present and future earnings, medical expenses, and the pain and suffering you experience as a result of your injury.
Four Ways to Increase your Personal Injury Claim
But insurance companies will try to pay out as little as possible in compensation.
So, you need to know about the different ways in which you can potentially increase your settlement value and receive the maximum amount that you’re entitled to.
Here are four ways to go about it.
1. Record Your Accident in the Appropriate Way
To increase the potential settlement value of your claim, you need to record the accident in various ways, so that the records can be used as evidence by your lawyer later on.
The first thing to do after you have received medical treatment for your personal injury is to report your accident to the relevant authority. For instance:
- If you have an auto accident, you should report the incident to your insurer and possibly the police.
- If you have an accident at work, you should make sure it’s recorded in the accident book.
- If you have an accident on public property, such as a slip and fall on a public footpath, you should report your accident to the local authority.
2. Hire an Experienced Specialist Lawyer
Getting the right lawyer on board will make a huge difference to the value of the settlement you receive.
For instance, when hiring a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia, you should make sure that he or she specializes in personal injury cases and has experience handling similar cases to yours.
You should ensure your attorney has a wealth of experience and a high success rate. The lawyer also needs to be an effective communicator and an excellent negotiator in order to help you maximize the compensation you are entitled to.
3. Collect Evidence
There are various things that can be valuable as evidence to help you win the best possible outcome for your personal injury claim. So, collect as much evidence to support your claim as you can.
For instance:
- Get the contact details of any witnesses.
- Take photographs of the accident scene and your injuries.
- Gather records of medical treatment and bills that you have received.
- Keep a written account of how the accident and the injuries you sustained have affected you physically, mentally, and financially.
4. Do What Your Lawyer Asks You to Do
Even if you hire the greatest personal injury lawyer on the planet, it’s still down to you to ensure all requested documentation is in order and received by the given deadline.
If you should miss out on important documents or miss deadlines, it can greatly affect proceedings. If your case goes to trial and an important document that could have proven your case is not included in the case file due to your tardiness or apathy, you could end up with a much lower settlement.
Whether it’s meeting deadlines for documentation or something else, you should always do precisely what your lawyer asks you to do during the case proceedings if you want to increase your potential settlement.
Respond to questions, sign and return documents, turn up for medical examinations, appear at hearings, and do anything else your lawyer asks you to do.
