If you’ve been injured in an accident, the last thing on your mind is preserving your legal claim. Your number one focus needs to be on your health and getting the medical treatment you need. Then, if you’re able, you should try to do these three things to make your legal claim as strong as possible:
- Call the police to ensure a police report is created.
- Describe all of your injuries to your medical care provider and let them know that you were in an accident.
- Take photos of your injuries and any property damage. If you can do so safely, take photos of the scene of the accident too.
See Your Doctor Following an Accident and Follow All Instructions
If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, going to the doctor should be one of the first things you do. Even if you think you’re okay or your injuries are minor, symptoms can take a while to surface. A doctor can best assess the full extent of your injuries.
This is important not only for your health and recovery, but for your personal injury case, if you need to file a claim. Any medical advice and instructions should carefully be followed for the same reasons. Not following your doctor’s instructions could lengthen your recovery or cause complications in your healing process.
The insurance company or defense counsel may argue that you exaggerated your injuries to the doctor or that your injuries are not improving because you failed to follow your doctor’s instructions. This isn’t a challenge you want to face, so following your doctor’s advice is important for more reasons than one.
In many ways, taking care of your health and injuries also will help your case. There are some points to keep in mind during your healing process:
- Maintain communication with your doctors. Keep them up to date on your symptoms.
- Attend all of your appointments and don’t hesitate to schedule more if your symptoms or health changes.
- Take any prescriptions or medications your doctor prescribes as instructed.
- Keep a journal to detail your recovery process and how your injuries have impacted your daily life.
Remember, although it’s appropriate to seek a second or even third opinion, you never should take medical advice from anyone other than a licensed medical professional. Physicians and other licensed providers are able to use their comprehensive knowledge to know what’s best for treating your injuries in relation to your unique and specific medical history.
Following their advice will allow you to avoid serious complications in your recovery. By staying in contact with them, you and your doctor can adjust treatment to best suit your needs. Plus, every doctor’s appointment and communication leave a helpful paper trail.
Contact A Lawyer
Once you’ve received the care you need, contact a lawyer. Contacting a lawyer early allows you to focus on recovery while we take care of the paperwork and short deadlines. It also allows your legal counsel to gather information while witnesses’ memories are fresh.
If you’ve been injured and are in need of legal counsel, call us. We’d be delighted to help you determine if we are the right lawyers to help you.
