Once you are injured in an accident due to another individual's negligence, you are entitled to receive compensatory damages from the entity or person at fault. This is often crucial if the injury makes it difficult for you to remain active, and you have expenses to pay, including your medical bills. However, if you haven't filed a claim before, you might find the matter overly complex.
The good news is that you can rely on personal injury lawyers to file and get the compensation you deserve, depending on the injury and its effects on your life. To help you understand this procedure, this post will offer a quick guide on filing a claim and will come in handy whether you choose to work with a lawyer or not.
Get treated
The first thing you should do when you are involved in an accident or get injured is to seek medical help. Even if you aren't experiencing immediate symptoms, it's advisable to get examined by a pro. If you don't and experience severe pain weeks or months later, your employer's insurer will not compensate you. They will question the injury severity because you didn't see a doctor and won't get any benefits even if they know you got injured at work. All the expenses you incur and pains will be on you.
Notify your company
Another step in the claim process is to report your injury to the relevant person in your company. This could be the operations manager, supervisor, or any other person in your company so they can convey the information to your employer. If the accident occurs on the road, you will need to notify the traffic police. Accidents that occurred in a public area should be reported to the local authorities.
File the claim
Next, you'll need to file the claim. Start by notifying the concerned parties that you intend to file a claim. Your company may opt to compensate you right away to avoid any issues with lawyers. However, if they don't, then you will need to file the claim on your own or hire a lawyer to handle everything on your behalf. The attorney will organize the paperwork and gather evidence to help you get a favorable compensation.
Negotiate the settlement
The benefits that the insurance company or employer offers are awarded for medical expenses, loss of income, pain, domestic care, and any other losses you occurred. Your lawyer will consider all aspects while negotiating with the other party to get you the best deal. If negotiations aren't successful, the case will go to court. Reach out to a personal injury attorney for more information.
