You’ve been seriously injured and it wasn’t your fault. First, you need to get the medical help you need. Next, you need to find a lawyer to get you the compensation you deserve. You will help your case if you take these steps to make sure that you have a legitimate Jacksonville personal injury claim:
- Take notes about your accident
- Get your medical records
- Gather evidence
- Plan with your personal injury attorney
Take Notes About Your Accident
As soon as you can, take notes or make a tape of yourself talking about the accident. This will help you from forgetting key points. If you were injured at work, make sure you note if you were following your employer’s safety protocols at the time. Note how soon you got medical attention. If you were injured in your car, here are some questions to consider:
- Do you remember if you were wearing a seatbelt?
- Was the radio on?
- What was the weather like?
- Were there any objects blocking the road, like trash cans or tree limbs? These are things that your Jacksonville personal injury attorney will need to know.
Get Your Medical Records
Your attorney will need your medical records for many reasons. First, he or she wants to make sure that you sustained the injuries that you claim you have. The next is to make sure how severe the injuries are and how they affect your quality of living. Parents or guardians of children have the right to get medical records of their dependents.
You need to ask the records department of the hospital you were treated at for your records. They may come on CD or paper files. You can also ask your doctor or specialist for a copy of your medical records. There may be a fee for getting your records.
Gather Evidence
Depending on your accident and your personal health situation, this may be easier said than done. However, many auto accident victims have proved that they were not at fault by finding witnesses to their crash, taking photos of the damaged vehicles and any skid marks in the road. If possible, go back to the site of the accident and take photos of the area. Were there any warning signs in the area? Was any equipment broken? If you can, take photos right after the accident, but please get medical help first.
You also should get a friend to take photos of your injuries. Many doctors or nurses may perform this task for you if you provide the camera. If your accident was severe enough, there may be a police report about it. This is evidence that your attorney needs to see. Contact your local police department to get a copy of the incident report.
Plan With Your Personal Injury Attorney
Your personal injury lawyer will know if you have a strong enough case to proceed with a lawsuit. If your lawyer thinks you have a case, plan your strategy now. Ask if there is anything else you need to do. Some questions to ask about your personal injury claim include:
- Will the lawyer represent you in court should the case go to trial?
- Will there be more than one lawyer on your case?
- Will you be allowed to accept a settlement or do you want the lawyer to be the only person to accept a settlement offer?
- When is payment for the lawyer due?