After suffering an injury in an accident caused by someone else, it can be a daunting task to get the compensation you deserve. However, obtaining the maximum amount of money you’re due can be achieved with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.
Unfortunately, insurance companies usually make it their mission to minimize the value of a settlement. They use computer algorithms to come up with a number that’s less than the average of all similar claims.
Gather Evidence
Evidence is one of the most important parts of a personal injury case. It helps you prove liability, show the extent of your damages, and demonstrate the impact of the incident on your life.
Gathering high-quality evidence is key to maximizing your compensation. Some of the most useful evidence includes eyewitness testimony, medical records, receipts, and insurance information.
Collecting any physical artifacts related to the accident or injury is also important. These could include skid marks on the road or broken glass from a car window.
Be Honest About Your Injuries
If you want to maximize your compensation in a personal injury case, you must be honest about your injuries. You should not hide any past injuries or exaggerate your current ones, as this can hurt you in the long run.
Insurance defense lawyers will review your medical history, and they may try to use this information to deny your claim or reduce your settlement amount.
To avoid this, be as truthful as possible when you talk to the insurance company and your lawyer. Be sure to provide accurate details about your injuries, especially any significant ones that may impact your daily life.
Don’t Forget About Non-Economic Damages
In a personal injury case, you will be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages. These damages compensate you for losses that can’t be measured by money, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent scarring or disfigurement, loss of consortium, PTSD, and mental anguish.
You can recover these damages by filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party. Whether you receive this compensation through a settlement or a court award, your damages are meant to make you whole again.
Non-economic damages are difficult to calculate, so it’s important to have an experienced Boston personal injury attorney help you understand how much they might be worth. A good way to start is by keeping a journal of your injuries and how they impact your daily life.
Don’t Sign a Release
Signing a release can make it harder to receive future compensation for your injuries. In fact, signing a release too early can prevent you from receiving insurance money for things like additional time off work or future surgeries and physical therapy.
You should not sign a release without first consulting with an experienced personal injury lawyer to evaluate your case. You could be giving up important rights, limiting your ability to pursue a lawsuit for damages.
Another issue is that you are giving your insurance company access to private information about your health. This allows them to search through your medical records and find any information that can be used against you to deny or reduce your claim.
Don’t Accept the First Offer
When an insurance company makes an initial offer on a personal injury case, it almost always is much less than what your claim is worth. This is a routine tactic used by insurance companies to try and save their own money.
However, in the long run, you could be cheating yourself out of thousands of dollars.
Fortunately, you have a number of ways to maximize your compensation in a personal injury case. One of the most important is to not accept the first offer.
