Thousands of Americans experience some form of personal injury in their lives. Some of them, unaware of their rights to protection and compensation, may not even report these injuries to the proper authorities. Worse, they may accept partial or total fault for the accident. 

Personal injuries include any harm to a person’s body, emotions, or reputation, as opposed to harm to property rights. You may be able to reach a settlement in your personal injury case. Take the actions outlined below to maximize your settlement when you’re hurt.

First Steps to Maximizing a Personal Injury Settlement

When you’re hurt in an accident, it’s important to start taking action right away. Taking the right steps now, not later, can help you get the most time with your lawyer and the most time building your case. Below are just some of the steps you can take to maximize the settlement you’re due: 

  • Get Medical Attention You may not feel pain right away because of the adrenaline rush that occurs in situations like this. But waiting for medical care can cause injuries like brain injuries and internal bleeding to worsen. If you wait longer to report your injury, the chances the insurance company will blame your injuries on something else grow.
  • Analyze the Costs When people think of damages, they frequently focus solely on the material aspects of the situation. These costs can instead impact you in other ways. Your lawyer can help you determine these costs and estimate the costs of future damages. 
  • Document Your Evidence – Your claim will be bolstered by evidence such as photographs, eyewitness accounts, police reports, and torn clothing. The difficulty of remembering this on the spur of the moment doesn’t diminish its importance—the more evidence you have, the better your chances of compensation are. 

You need to know the correct questions to ask. You don’t want to end up regretting not getting vital information on your entitlements earlier on. Don’t underestimate the extent of your losses. You may be able to get more compensation than you think.  

Know Your Personal Injury Settlement Claim’s Value

When facing a personal injury claim, it’s often best to seek legal help. You don’t want some entity, corporate or individual, to reverse the narrative and take you to court instead. Your lawyer can help you act now, and they can help you understand what your personal injury settlement should be worth. 

These are some of what you may claim compensation for if you are proven legally qualified:

  • Mental and emotional distress
  • Household assistance 
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages 
  • Medical expenses 
  • Travel expenses 

There may be other damages you can file for. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you by diminishing the value of your damages or downplaying the suffering you experienced. 

Many lawsuits can be settled out of court, saving everyone much time and money. But you may need a skilled lawyer to see you through the settlement, or through the court case if it comes to that. Your lawyer can help you ensure you get all the compensation you are entitled to. 

Schedule Your Free Consultation Now

When you’re hurt in an accident, you may need a lawyer’s guidance to recover from the suffering you’ve experienced. Craig Swapp & Associates has some of the most experienced personal injury lawyers at your disposal. 

Ready for your free consultation? Call us at 1-800-404-9000 or complete our online contact form below. We will see you safely and efficiently through your personal injury case and press for the highest compensation you are entitled to.

Written By: Ryan Swapp     Legal Review By: Craig Swapp