Trying to catch your bearings after suffering a catastrophic injury isn’t easy. But if you plan on filing a personal injury lawsuit, there are certain things you must do right away to make sure you win your case, as well as maximize your potential compensation. With the money you deserve, you can make the physical recovery you deserve.
Living with a spinal cord injury is expensive. From home modifications to medical equipment, you will need as much financial assistance as possible. A successful personal injury lawsuit can help you recover financial assistance. However, a successful personal injury claim requires several important things that must be collected right away. Because of this, we have created a helpful list for people following a spinal cord injury so they know exactly what to preserve in the initial phase of an injury.
5) Photographs
Photographic evidence is essential to a personal injury claim. You’ll want to have someone take photos of the scene of the accident,as well as photos of your injuries. Photos of your injury include a picture of you in your hospital bed recovering or close-up pictures of injured areas. Having photographic evidence will strengthen your personal injury case. Video is just as important; iif you can retrieve video evidence from the scene of the accident or video evidence of you recovering in the initial days of your injury, that too can be strengthen your legal case.
4) Eyewitness Statements
Collect the names of everyone present at the scene of your injury. Make sure to ask for a witness statements as well as contact information. While the police may collect witness statements as well, having this information yourself is important and very well may help your case. Collecting statements from medical professionals regarding your injury is also key.
3) Medical Bills
As you are mailed statements for your medical bills, make sure to keep them in a secure file. Your medical bills will at some point be used in your personal injury case to demonstrate damages. Medical bills are one of the best ways to show a judge or jury how serious your injury is as well as how it affected you financially, especially if any of your medical bills were paid out of pocket.
2) Insurance Information
If your injury was in a car accident or at a home, there may be a personal insurance policy involved, whether it is car insurance or home insurance. Make sure to keep records of all insurance companies involved in the accident.
1) Wages Lost
For adults who have suffered a spinal cord injury, they typically lose wages if they were employed at the time of their injury. It is important that you keep track of exactly how much you have lost in wages after your injury. Showing the total amount of lost wages can help your case, as this can demonstrate how the injury has affected your finances and professional life.
While it may be natural to simply focus on your health and recovery when you are first injured, remember the importance of saving as much evidence related to your injury as possible. The more evidence you have that proves the extent of damages following your injury, the greater chance you have of winning your personal injury case.