If you have sustained an injury in a car accident caused by someone else, you may be eligible for compensation. To make sure you get the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries, you must retain the services of a houston car accident attorney. Also, you must do some things to help your lawyer maximize your settlement amount or jury award. These include the following:
Seek Immediate Treatment
After a car accident, you need to see a doctor, so you can get a medical examination. You may not feel pain or other symptoms of injuries after the crash but some injuries may remain undetected until days or weeks after the accident. A thorough medical evaluation can help detect any injuries your body may have sustained. A car accident usually involves a significant impact that can hurt any part of your body and lead to lifelong complications. Waiting to see a doctor makes it more difficult for you to prove that the injury you sustained directly resulted from the accident.
Prepare for Your Meeting with the Lawyer
Before you make an initial consultation with your attorney, ensure you are prepared. Bring with you any documents and evidence you have related to your accident including a police report, witness information, and hospital discharge summary. Your lawyer can sort through these documents and decide which ones they can use.
Take Your Medical Treatment Seriously
Following your recommended treatment plan will help ensure your fast recovery. Otherwise, you could exacerbate your condition, giving the other party a reason to argue that you are not as seriously injured as you claimed. When this happens, the insurance company of the at-fault party may devalue your claim or even deny it outright.
Keep a Pain Diary
When keep you a pain diary, you can demonstrate the amount of pain your injuries caused you every day. This can effectively prove the damages you want to recover. As an injured victim of another person’s negligence, you can be entitled to economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, property damage, and lost wages while non-economic damages include your pain and suffering. Your pain diary makes it easier for your lawyer to argue your non-economic damages.
Update Your Lawyer
Whether you change your contact number, move, or change your doctors, keep your lawyer updated. Although some car accidents are resolved quickly, more complex cases can take months or even years to resolve. Your attorney will communicate with you at any time and you want them to easily reach you when this happens.