If you’ve been injured in a car accident, then you probably want to find a way to obtain accountability and recover compensation for your losses. After all, the damage caused to you may be quite extensive, and it could touch nearly every aspect of your life. Your medical expenses and lost wages can leave you on shaky financial footing, and your physical and emotional pian and suffering might be completely overwhelming.
As disheartening as this situation may be, you shouldn’t despair. By being proactive, you can increase your chances of building a compelling personal injury case that seeks to achieve both of your goals. But while you’re trying to focus on your recovery, you might be wondering what, exactly, you can do to maximize your claim’s potential. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you progress through your case:
- Gather and preserve all evidence: If you’re going to win your case at trial or successfully negotiate a favorable settlement, then you’re going to need persuasive evidence supporting your position. Talk to witnesses and take note of their observations and their contact information. Obtain police reports and medical records. Keep all communications with insurance companies.
- Watch what you say: Keep in mind that the other side is going to be looking for evidence, too. So, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not making statements that could be damaging to your case.
- Stay away from social media: Portraying how your injuries have negatively affected your life is a big part of recovering non-economic damages in one of these cases. But, given that most people put the best parts of their lives on social media, social media posts can be twisted and used against you in court to minimize your non-economic damages. It’s best just to stay off of social media until your case resolves.
- Get treatment: To robustly present your case for damages, you have to know what those damages are. This means that you need to seek out treatment for your injuries so that you have a realistic picture of their extent and what they could mean for your future.
- Be forward-looking: While you’ll certainly want to prove the damages that you’ve suffered up until this point, you’ll also want to prove your expected damages. Think about how long you’re going to miss work or how your injuries have affected your earnings capacity. Consider what your medical treatment will look like moving forward and how much it’ll cost you. Also think about the long-term effects of your injuries on your daily life and your enjoyment of life. Then, present evidence as to each of these aspects.
- Talk to experts: Although many personal injury cases seem pretty straightforward, a lot of them require expert testimony to speak to certain aspects of the claim. An accident reconstruction expert might be able to help establish liability, or your doctor may be able to speak to your anticipated medical expenses. Make sure that you talk to these experts to determine how they can support your claim.
Be thorough and persuasive in presenting your case
If you want to succeed on your personal injury claim, then you’ll need to make persuasive legal arguments that speak to every aspect of your claim. That means knowing the law, effectively applying it to the facts at hand, and successfully anticipating the defense’s arguments. If you can do that, then you’ll position yourself well for a winning claim. Perhaps then you can find accountability and recover the compensation that you need to recover as much of your pre-accident life as possible.
