How to Increase the Value of Your Personal Injury Claim
Our attorneys have over seven
decades combined experience.
The value of your personal injury claim can depend a great deal on what you do directly after the accident. Many personal injury cases are won, lost, or devalued long before they get to the courtroom.
There are several steps you can take to make sure you get as much money as possible when you make your personal injury claim.
Gather Evidence
You want to establish clear lines of liability when you make a personal injury claim. You want to be able to show how the accident or injury was the fault of the negligent party, rather than your own.
This is why we tell you to gather a lot of information and take as many photos of an accident scene as possible.
However, there are cases when the accident victim is just too hurt to gather any evidence on their own. When this happens, attorneys may turn to accident reconstruction specialists to help make sense of what happened on the day you were hurt, and to help establish those lines of liability.
Avoid Talking to Insurance Companies
Both the other driver’s insurance company and your own insurance company will want you to give a statement about the facts of the accident and your injuries. Both adjusters from both companies are worried about paying claims, and will often try to trick you into saying things that will minimize the amount they’ll have to pay out.
Usually it’s better to consult with an attorney before you deal with any insurance company. Sometimes the attorney will even deal with insurance companies on your behalf. When this isn’t possible, you can at least get advice about what to say and what not to say.
Get Diagnosed for All Injuries
It’s imperative that you get treatment directly after your accident. You need to be able to draw a firm line between the accident and the injury when your attorney makes the demand on your behalf. Failing to get treatment can blur the lines of causation, making it harder to demonstrate that your injuries and their associated expenses were a direct result of the accident.
If you didn’t go to the hospital after your accident, go straight to your primary doctor. Follow up on any specialist referrals you receive.
In some cases, the presence of a pre-existing condition can complicate the case. In that case, your attorney might need to help you find an expert who can help distinguish between the damage caused by your pre-existing condition and the damage caused by the accident, strengthening your position in settlement negotiations.
Follow Doctor’s Orders
Many people fail to follow doctor’s orders, but this failure can vastly complicate your case.
Yet if you don’t do this you again complicate that line of causation. You could even be accused of exacerbating your injury. The insurance companies don’t have to pay for complications you caused yourself.
Move Fast
To make your claim as valuable as possible you will want to move as quickly as possible. Don’t wait until all your injuries are healed to contact a personal injury attorney. Consider calling us as soon as you’re medically capable of doing so. We can navigate through the process and help you avoid mistakes.
See also:
How Do Car Accident Cases Work in New Jersey?
Do You Have Grounds for a Personal Injury Claim?
3 Factors That Impact the Value of a New Jersey Personal Injury Claim
Practice Areas
Practice Areas
The value of your personal injury claim can depend a great deal on what you do directly after the accident. Many personal injury cases are won, lost, or devalued long before they get to the courtroom.
There are several steps you can take to make sure you get as much money as possible when you make your personal injury claim.
Gather Evidence
You want to establish clear lines of liability when you make a personal injury claim. You want to be able to show how the accident or injury was the fault of the negligent party, rather than your own.
This is why we tell you to gather a lot of information and take as many photos of an accident scene as possible.
However, there are cases when the accident victim is just too hurt to gather any evidence on their own. When this happens, attorneys may turn to accident reconstruction specialists to help make sense of what happened on the day you were hurt, and to help establish those lines of liability.
Avoid Talking to Insurance Companies
Both the other driver’s insurance company and your own insurance company will want you to give a statement about the facts of the accident and your injuries. Both adjusters from both companies are worried about paying claims, and will often try to trick you into saying things that will minimize the amount they’ll have to pay out.
Usually it’s better to consult with an attorney before you deal with any insurance company. Sometimes the attorney will even deal with insurance companies on your behalf. When this isn’t possible, you can at least get advice about what to say and what not to say.
Get Diagnosed for All Injuries
It’s imperative that you get treatment directly after your accident. You need to be able to draw a firm line between the accident and the injury when your attorney makes the demand on your behalf. Failing to get treatment can blur the lines of causation, making it harder to demonstrate that your injuries and their associated expenses were a direct result of the accident.
If you didn’t go to the hospital after your accident, go straight to your primary doctor. Follow up on any specialist referrals you receive.
In some cases, the presence of a pre-existing condition can complicate the case. In that case, your attorney might need to help you find an expert who can help distinguish between the damage caused by your pre-existing condition and the damage caused by the accident, strengthening your position in settlement negotiations.
Follow Doctor’s Orders
Many people fail to follow doctor’s orders, but this failure can vastly complicate your case.
Yet if you don’t do this you again complicate that line of causation. You could even be accused of exacerbating your injury. The insurance companies don’t have to pay for complications you caused yourself.
Move Fast
To make your claim as valuable as possible you will want to move as quickly as possible. Don’t wait until all your injuries are healed to contact a personal injury attorney. Consider calling us as soon as you’re medically capable of doing so. We can navigate through the process and help you avoid mistakes.
See also:
How Do Car Accident Cases Work in New Jersey?
Do You Have Grounds for a Personal Injury Claim?
3 Factors That Impact the Value of a New Jersey Personal Injury Claim