Last month, we shared information about several basic types of personal injury claims. You may have experienced an injury that is not one of the injuries discussed in that article. Your injury could also possibly give rise to a personal injury claim if you were hurt by no fault of your own.
The first thing you must do after an injury is to seek medical attention. Not only may the injury be more severe than it appears, but you also need to know what treatment is recommended for your injury so that you can begin the process of healing and recovery. When you receive medical care at a doctor’s office or a hospital, you create a record of your injury as well as the care that you have received for it. If your injury later gives rise to a personal injury claim, your medical records will provide valuable information to your attorney that they can use to support your claim.
After you have received medical care and you are on your way to recovering from your injury, it is a good idea to explore whether you might have a personal injury claim. It is wise to get started on working with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident, as personal injury claims take some time, and it won’t be long before your medical bills begin to arrive. If another person’s negligence caused your injury and you have information available to you that demonstrates that your injury was the result of their negligence, you may be able to work with a personal injury attorney to pursue a personal injury claim. The medical records mentioned in an earlier paragraph are a vital part of the proof you’ll need to support your personal injury claim. Other types of information your attorney can use to build your injury claim are witness statements, photographs, security camera footage, police reports, and your testimony about what happened to you before, during, and after your injury.
If you do have a personal injury claim, your attorney will work with you to file the claim and develop a settlement proposal. A settlement proposal is a document that your attorney sends to the defendant, the person or business entity that you believe is responsible for your injury, that outlines the reasons why they are liable for your injury as well as the compensation you expect to receive from them. What happens next depends upon the defendant’s response to your personal injury claim. Some defendants may acknowledge that your injury resulted from their negligence. They may agree to pay the amount your attorney requested, or they may attempt to negotiate with you and your attorney to reach an agreement to pay a lower amount. The defendant could also deny responsibility for your injury. If that happens, your attorney can file a lawsuit against them. You, your attorney, the defendant, and their attorney could settle your case before it gets to court. If not, you’ll appear in court with your attorney and present your personal injury case there in hopes of receiving a verdict in your favor.
If you would like to know whether you have a personal injury claim, ask the Mississippi Personal Injury Attorneys at Barrett Law today. Call our office at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule a free initial consultation.