Personal Injury: Important Steps To Take When You’ve Been Injured
The clock buzzes, beeps, chirps, or chimes. We throw off the covers and feet hit the floor. A new day begins. You pack the lunches, feed the cat, make the coffee, get the kids on the bus, and you’re off to work—all in record time. Amazing. And while you’re moving at the speed of light, so are millions of other Americans. Add in icy roads, slippery sidewalks, broken stairs, falling debris, unlabeled hazards, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, miraculously even, most of us go day in and day out for years and years without so much as a scratch, but remember that part earlier, the part about “millions of other Americans,” that’s right, there are millions of us all moving at a breakneck pace, and the law of averages says that every day, some of those “millions” are going to succumb to the averages. We’re talking about personal injury.
Personal injuries can happen anywhere, anytime and to anyone. No one is immune. No matter how responsible we are, careful, or calculated, injuries happen; it’s a fact of life. Personal injuries can be costly in many ways. A personal injury can put you out of work temporarily costing you lost wages. A personal injury can even put you out of work permanently if you are no longer able to perform the duties of your job due to your injury or injuries. Imagine the cost of having to train for a new career, go back to school to learn a new trade or profession, or being permanently disabled and unable to work at all. Neither portrait painted here is a pleasant one; all are costly—financially and emotionally. Personal injuries can be traumatizing on a myriad of levels. And when they happen due to the negligence of another party, you simply must be compensated. Personal injuries can result in astronomical medical bills and sometimes lifetime care. When they happen to you or a loved one, you need to make sure that you get the best personal injury attorney in Gonzales, LA that you can retain.
Being prepared is always your best option in every life situation, and that is true for personal injuries as well. No one is suggesting you walk around every day with a hard hat on, unless of course, you’re a construction worker, etc., but it’s good to know what to do in advance, in case that fateful day arrives and you’re one in the “millions of other Americans” whose number is up. But how can you be prepared for something that you don’t know is about to happen? Well, you can’t prepare for the accident happening unless you are clairvoyant; however, you can be prepared with knowledge—important information about how to respond, what to do, etc. after an accident happens. And remember, if the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, even if they are contrite, it’s still their responsibility to cover your damages. Seeking compensation for damages is not just your option; it is something you need to do to protect yourself and your family. With that in mind, let’s consider a few of the basic areas of action that you can take after an accident that will help you when it comes time to make a claim or sue for damages.
Seek Medical Help
First and foremost, when you’re injured, seek quality medical care. If you’re incapacitated, then get emergency services to respond immediately. Sometimes accident victims are in shock and they may feel fine when they are, in fact, seriously injured. Never put your health and safety in jeopardy; seek medical care after an injury. Even if you feel okay at the moment it’s important to remember that you’ve been in an accident of some sort and only a qualified medical professional can exam you and make that call. Let the physician or health care worker give you the green light to go on about your day, don’t risk it. And beyond the personal safety, it’s also invaluable to make a record of your injuries with medical professionals.
Talk To Witnesses
If there were any witnesses to your accident and injury, talk to them. Get their accounts of what happened, document it, and also take their phone and email contact information, as well as their full ‘legal’ name so you can put your personal injury attorney in touch with them. Witnesses can prove to be invaluable in claims and cases, especially contentious ones.
Take Notes, Keep Records, Document Everything
Whether your claim is settled easily out of court with the negligent party, or whether you have to bear down in the saddle for a long hard ride, fighting it out in the courtroom, you’ll need documentation of everything in order to be sufficiently compensated for your injuries. After your accident, if you are able to write, take notes and make a written record of the events that led to your accident and injury, including notes about the scene/environment; activity of the area; and conditions of the road, area, or sidewalk—whatever you can think of and everything you can think of. There is no such thing as being ‘too thorough’ when it comes to documentation. Your personal injury attorney in Gonzales, LA, can sift through all your notes and documentation and pull whatever he or she needs to effectively support your claim and case. And the same level of thoroughness should be applied to the documentation of your injuries and visits to medical facilities. Whether you go to the ER or your doctor’s office, or an urgent care facility, be sure to get the doctor or healthcare professional to document the injuries they find so you’ll have a written record of that. Get receipts and paperwork from the front desk, etc. and fully document every step and transaction you have with medical personnel, from doctors to nurses to administrative support staff. The more information you have the easier it will be for your personal injury attorney in Gonzales, LA to build a case that will win you the maximum compensation you deserve.
Take Photos
After your accident document the scene— take photos of your injuries, road conditions (sidewalk conditions if you were walking) the obstacles or signage that may have led to your accident, the entire area and anything you can think of. Remember, weather changes, signs can be put up after the fact, and faulty steps can be repaired… in short, if a negligent party expects that you’re about to file a claim or sue, you’d be amazed at what can get repaired overnight. Therefore, it is crucial to take photos immediately after your injury if at all possible. And if you are severely injured and cannot do it yourself, call a friend or family member and let them do it for you, or call us, Gordon R. Crawford & Associates, and we’ll get to the scene and document it for you visually. But make sure it gets done; a photograph can tell a powerful story to an insurance adjuster or jury.
Police Reports
Call the police. A police report is extremely useful in a court of law and also for making your claim with an insurance company. The police are here to serve the needs of the public, and if you’ve been injured call them and let them make a written record of everything for you. A trusted police report can go a long way and help win you the compensation you deserve.
Call An Attorney
This might be one of the most important steps of all after of course, you seek medical help to care for your health. A personal injury attorney in Gonzales, LA will get to work on your claim and begin building your case right away, as soon as you call. Time is valuable and as mentioned above, the accident scene can change, witnesses’ memories can fade, etc., so get your attorney on board right away. When you work with us, Gordon R. Crawford & Associates, you can rest assured that we will leave no stone unturned. We’ll investigate the accident, go to the scene, hire investigators if necessary, and put the pieces together so we can get you the maximum compensation for your injuries, compensation that will cover you today, tomorrow, and on into the future. At Gordon R. Crawford & Associates we have a track record of winning, and we never settle for a penny less than what we think you reasonably deserve. Call us today and let us get to work on your claim and case right away.
