October 21, 2016
The Basics of Proving Personal Injury Claims
With the holiday season starting, the weather starts getting worse and the roads busier. It’s inevitable that there will be an increase in traffic accidents and personal injuries. Before hiring a personal injury lawyer, know the basics of proving your claim.
Proving Liability in an Accident
This can be tricky, but if the fall occurred at business it’s likely there were witnesses that can attest to what happened or security cameras. Getting settlements from traffic accidents can be a little more difficult because there isn’t always proof of fault, especially if the defendant disagrees with your claim. Your insurance company might try to fight you on settlement money as well.
Critical facts to consider for any accident:
- Were you on your phone?
- Were you looking away?
- Did you miss a step?
- Were you holding anything?
- Was there a handrail?
- Was it icy or wet out?
Proving Damages in an Accident
Your lawyer needs to get all the proper hospital bills and records. They need to be able to prove what type and how serious your injury is, along with the costs of treatment and loss of income and duration of healing time. Getting hospital records can take a while because it isn’t the hospital’s top priority to copy records. Consider finding a lawyer who has staff dedicated to making sure records are acquired quickly.
Tips For Finding a Lawyer
- Personal injury experience or expertise
- Traffic accident experience or expertise
- Comfort level with your lawyer
- Reputation, make sure they have great reviews and success rates
- Dedication, your lawyer shouldn’t be juggling a couple dozen cases or pawning them off on employees