We are all susceptible to different kinds of injuries, be it workplace injuries, injuries from a road accident, or any other form of injury. Suffering from injuries doesn’t just inflict physical suffering on us, but there is an emotional and financial burden we have to deal with as well. Although we can’t prevent the occurrence of injuries, some things can be done to protect ourselves physically and financially after an injury. Read on to learn what is supposed to be done in case of an injury.
Receive Medical Attention Right Away
The most crucial step to be taken after being injured is seeking medical help right away. The first thing to do if you are conscious is to call for help, bearing in mind that some injuries do not appear or show signs of internal injuries immediately, so even if you are not in pain and you feel that there is nothing wrong with you, you have to seek medical help. In case of serious accidents and injuries, the human body goes in a state of shock, which is how it defends itself against life-threatening situations by narrowing the blood vessels in the hands and feet to conserve the blood flow to its vital organs; however, the body also releases adrenaline, that may reverse this defense mechanism by dropping down the blood pressure. This calls for immediate medical treatment, so no matter how you feel, you need to seek medical help right after being injured so they can identify your injury and its severity. Moreover, doctors will create an official medical record for legal purposes. Physicians will also schedule some follow-up visits for you, which needs to be taken seriously if you decide to file a case, as insurance companies can use missing visits to the doctor against you, arguing that the injury is not severe.
Report the Injury & Keep Records
Make sure you report your injury to the appropriate authority after the accident and take a copy of the official document. The insurance company adjuster will try their best to minimize the amount of money that will be paid to you, so you need to keep records of everything related to your injuries, like the doctor's detailed medical record of your case mentioning the severity of your injuries, medical bills, police reports, lost wages, and photographs and videos of your injuries after the occurrence of the accident. Reporting the injury and keeping all the records will help you build a strong base for your compensation claim.
Seek the Help of Personal Injury Lawyers
Personal injury lawyers won’t just help you build a strong compensation claim, but they will also save you much time and stress involved in such cases as they know exactly what should be done and will do it in the right manner and order. Before contacting the insurance company of the other party to negotiate your rights, it is best that you talk to a personal injury lawyer here and consult with them first. Being injured in an accident or as a result of other’s recklessness has a lot of consequences other than just physical pain, as attending to your injuries will result in taking days off work, which means lost wages, not to mention the stress and emotional suffering involved. Hence, personal injury lawyers in Tampa recommend that these matters should be resolved by professionals as insurance companies will try to minimize your compensation as much as they can to protect the interest of their company. Unless your lawyer advises you to give the other party’s insurance company a recorded statement, do not do it.
Gather Information of Witnesses
If any witnesses saw the incident, it is very important to get their names, addresses, and phone numbers, so they can testify on your behalf later on. Do not depend on finding this kind of information in the police reports as not all of them have witness information in them. Thus, if you were able to gather their names and numbers yourself, do it, then give that information to your personal injury lawyer to use it in court.
In case of injury, you are not in the best condition to make decisions and assess the situation right, so the first thing that should be done is seeking medical treatment. Remember that keeping records of the incident will help you in your compensation claim, and of course, hiring a personal injury lawyer will help you in taking the right legal steps and recovering fair compensation from the insurance company that would cover your lost wages, medical bills, and other financial losses resulting from the incident.
