The number of physician visits recorded by the CDC for personal injuries to date stands at a whopping 39.5 million.
These cases include a wide range of instances where victims suffered bodily harm. If you’re considering filing a personal injury case, then you aren’t alone.
Personal injury cases are common in the United States. With a well-executed court process, you’ll be guaranteed of your deserved compensation in no time. However, for you to get recompense for your injuries, your case must be watertight.
Are you about to file a personal injury claim? This personal injury case checklist will ensure that you have the documentation you need in good order.
What Is the Scope of Personal Injury?
Personal injury refers to the damages to the human body or the mental well-being of a person.
The scope of personal injuries ranges from trauma and distress to blisters and broken bones. Any injury that leads to illness or that weakens the average performance of an individual’s mental health is classifiable as personal injury.
Medical malpractice, injuries due to motor vehicle collisions, or worksite accidents all fall under classifications of personal injuries. Other categorizations of personal injuries include dog attacks and other public or private property liabilities.
Why Do You Need a Checklist?
Time is of the essence when filing a personal injury lawsuit, but lack of proper documentation can lead to inefficiencies in the process.
While cases differ, and there may be different facts and nuances, having a well-streamlined process of filing for personal injury will guarantee you results.
A checklist is useful because it helps both the legal representative and the client to check-off what you already have in the list.
Having a list also enhances the aspect of preparedness.
This approach makes the entire process less tedious and eases the progression of the litigation outcomes.
1. Law Enforcement Reports
Youβre always advised to ensure that the first call you make as soon as an accident occurs is to the law enforcement offices. This is because law enforcement agencies provide a copy of their report regarding the accident.
Ensure that if possible, you have this report on your side.
Those first responders during the scene have critical information that can help you build the case. If those responders are law enforcement officers, you stand a higher chance of accessing firsthand evidence, which is significant in the case.
2. Check If You Have the Incident Reports
You also need to check if you have the incident reports of the case from other official sources. The sources may include accounts from colleagues or other individuals in other agencies of authority who can offer legal advice on the incident.
The incident report may also be from individuals with background information about the circumstances of the injuries, even if not a presence at the scene, such as emergency response teams.
Are you wondering how to handle a personal injury case from start to finish? A trusted lawyer can help you access some of the critical documents, such as incident reports.
3. Ensure You Have Photos/Video of the Scene
With advancements in technology, this is something that may be easy to obtain. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. As such, if you have anything that can link the accident to the defendant then that will be an essential addition to the case.
You may have pictures of the vehicle that hit you at the scene or a CCTV footage of the exact scene at the time of the accident. This informs the need to consider other witnesses and firsthand accounts for anyone who may have such evidence.
With the advancement in technology, smartphones can be of help in such cases.
4. Witness Statements
This is often hard to access but not impossible if you have the will. Most eyewitnesses are rarely willing to take an active role in a case. But having a witness statement(s) can help you build a watertight claim. An eyewitness account is among the most important personal injury checklist items you must consider.
Ensure that you have a written witness account to back your claim. You can learn more from legal experts on how to ensure that such eyewitness accounts work to your advantage.
5. Your Treatment Journal Is Critical Inclusion in Your Personal Injury Case Checklist
One of the critical reasons why you’re filing for personal injury claims is to ensure that you get reimbursement for the impact the specific injury has had on your life. It would, however, be best if you are proved that these claims are valid before a court of law.
Do you want to convince the court beyond any reasonable doubt of your injuries? Then you need to have a treatment journal from your physician.
Ensure that you include a formal report from your doctor on the treatment trajectory. Such reports should also include the costs, and the life-long implications the injury has on your health.
6. Keep Any Insurance Correspondence Close
Most times, such personal injury claims will involve correspondence with insurance companies and their representatives.
Your personal injury case checklist should include all the communication with such insurance companies. This is important for any future reference in the course of the court proceedings.
Insurance correspondence is among the critical personal injury checklist documents that will enforce your claim.
7. Documentation
Ensure that you keep all the billing reports associated with the accident as part of the personal injury case checklist. This is because the most significant part of the litigation will be to show that the extent of financial losses incurred and the corresponding need for compensation.
As such, ensure that all the details about medical bills and the benefits paperwork are well-documented.
Before heading to the trial injury phase, you must ensure that you have all this critical documentation as part of your checklist.
Find out more here on the step-by-step process from the time you file a motion to the eventual settlement through a court order or through an out- of- court proceeding.
Proper Planning Improves Your Chances of a Favorable Ruling
A personal injury case management checklist is critical towards guaranteeing your success. Before heading to the actual trial process, you can rely on this personal injury case checklist to ensure that you’re fully ready for the litigation.
With this checklist and a reliable personal injury attorney, success in the litigation is a guarantee.
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