3 Ways To Maximize Your Personal Injury Compensation After An Accident

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Recovering from a serious accident can prove costly, whether it's the cost of replacing damaged property or the medical costs associated with your physical and/or mental injuries. So it makes sense to seek the biggest monetary award or settlement possible. Fortunately, there are ways you can ensure that you receive the largest possible compensation for your personal injury in the aftermath of your accident.

Take Your Medical Treatment Seriously

Much of your personal injury compensation will ride on the severity of your injuries and the amount of treatment needed for a successful recovery. So what does it mean to take your medical treatment seriously? It means that you should always perform the following whenever you're involved in a serious accident:

1. Always seek prompt medical care - Many people make the mistake of underestimating their injuries and subsequently putting off initial medical treatment, only to discover their injuries were more severe than they realized. This can also seriously hurt a personal injury claim, since the insurance companies are less willing to provide compensation for injuries that weren't taken care of in time. You should always see your doctor immediately after an accident.
2. Always follow your doctor's instructions - The idea of following your doctor's orders sounds a bit clichéd, but it's absolutely essential for demonstrating how committed you are to a successful recovery, not to mention that it's also essential for a quick recovery. If you don't treat your recovery seriously by following your doctor's orders to the letter, then chances are the jury won't take your personal injury case seriously.
3. Don't let your treatment lapse - Letting your ongoing treatment lapse suggests to the jury that your injuries aren't that serious or worthy enough to merit medical treatment. Lapses in treatment can be the one thing that sinks your attempts for greater compensation.
4. Bring in the specialists - Back and neck injuries often require a diagnosis that many primary care physicians are simply not equipped to handle. Likewise, emergency room physicians may not have the time or forethought to order specialized testing unless your injuries are life-threatening. Not only does seeking specialist care for your injuries improve the chances of an accurate diagnosis and faster recovery, but your injuries will also appear more serious to the jury and insurance companies.

Document as Much as Possible

Documentation is also important when it comes to maximizing your personal injury settlement. If you're able to do so, you should always document as many details about the accident as possible. This includes taking detailed photographs of the accident scene as well as obtaining statements and contact information from witnesses. You should also obtain a police report featuring details and notes made by law enforcement officials about the accident in question.

By providing deep levels of documentation about your accident, you'll have plenty of proof on hand to not only prove your case, but also justify a larger personal injury award or settlement.

Avoid Giving Statements to the Other Party's Insurance Provider

There's a good chance that the other party's insurance provider will contact you shortly after your accident in order to obtain a recorded statement. At this point, you might be thinking that the insurance company simply wants to get its facts straight. In reality, the insurance company is actually looking to use your recorded statement against you in order to lower or even outright invalidate your personal injury claim.

It's not unusual for harmless comments to be taken out of context or a simple explanation to be used against you. Instead of directly giving a statement to the other party's insurance provider, you should always have your personal injury attorney speak on your behalf.

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13 March 2017