One of the best ways to maximize compensation for a personal injury claim is to hire an experienced California personal injury lawyer. An attorney can help you take the steps you need to take to protect your legal rights. Your lawyer also helps you avoid common mistakes many people make when handling an injury claim without an attorney.
However, there are several things that you can do to help your personal injury lawyer maximize compensation.
Four Ways You Can Help Your Personal Injury Attorney Get the Most Money for Your Claim
1. Don’t delay seeing a doctor.
Delays in medical treatment can hurt your personal injury claim. Don’t give the insurance company or the other party any reason to dispute your claim. See a doctor as soon as possible to document your injuries from the accident. Follow up with your physicians and stay with your treatment plan until your doctor releases you from treatment.
2. Document your injuries and financial losses.
Throughout your recovery, document your injuries by taking photographs of the injuries and making notes about your recovery. Include notes about your pain level and how the injuries impact your daily activities and relationships with others. Carefully document your financial losses and expense, such as medical bills, lost wages, and travel expenses. Keep copies of receipts, invoices, and other evidence of financial losses.
3. Don’t work directly with the insurance company.
Don’t provide a statement or sign any documents for the insurance provider until you have an opportunity to talk with a personal injury lawyer. Anything you say could be used later in the case to undervalue or deny your claim. Signing releases and other documents could result in a much lower settlement amount, or you could give up some of your legal rights to pursue a claim.
4. Don’t accept a settlement claim without speaking with an experienced California personal injury lawyer.
Most initial settlement offers are well below the actual value of a personal injury claim. Until you have a chance to meet with a personal injury lawyer to discuss your claim, you may not want to accept a settlement offer. Once you accept the settlement offer, your claim is closed. You cannot seek additional compensation even if you discover additional injuries or damages.
Accepting a settlement amount before you complete treatment for your injuries can result in the loss of thousands of dollars. It is impossible to know the exact value of your claim until the full extent of your injuries is known. If your injuries result in permanent impairments or disabilities, you might be entitled to additional compensation for future damages.
A personal injury lawyer understands how to calculate the maximum value of your injury claim.
Contact Our California Personal Injury Lawyers for More Information
Our law firm handles a variety of personal injury claims, including claims related to motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, dog attacks, elder abuse, and defective products.
For a free consultation with one of our California personal injury lawyers, contact The Tiemann Law Firm by calling (916) 999-9000 or by visiting our website. Our legal team is here to help you seek the compensation you deserve after being injured by another party.
Concussions are common car accident injuries. A concussion can result from a blow to the head, such as hitting your head on the steering wheel, window, or dashboard. It can also occur if your head is struck by an object flying around in the vehicle. In some cases, a concussion may occur from your head being violently whipped back and forth during the initial impact (whiplash). Regardless of the cause, a concussion can result in long-term impairments and complications. A Sacramento accident attorney can help you file a claim to recover compensation for your concussion injury.
When Should I Be Concerned About My Car Accident Concussion Symptoms?
A concussion can range from mild to severe. Mild concussions typically heal within a few weeks, but you should always be checked by a physician even if you don’t believe the concussion is serious. Only a physician can determine the severity of a head injury after a car accident.
Symptoms of a concussion may include:
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Headache
- Slurred speech
- Dizziness
- Confusion or the appearance of being dazed
- Fatigue
- Ringing in the ears
Other symptoms may develop over a few hours or days, such as problems with sleep, concentration, memory, sensitivity to light or sound, irritability, and depression.
If your concussion symptoms persist, you develop additional symptoms, or the symptoms grow worse, you need to see a doctor immediately. Concussion symptoms that do not go away or worsen could be a sign of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or other severe brain injury.
A neurologist may need to perform one or more diagnostic tests to determine the severity of the brain injury. Once the injury is diagnosed, doctors can develop a treatment plan to give the person the best chance of recovery. In cases involving permanent impairment, a treatment plan may include several forms of therapy and treatment that help the person learn to manage the changes that a permanent disability from brain injury can bring to his or her life.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Concussion Injuries
Individuals who sustain concussions during a car accident can be at risk for developing chronic symptoms and complications from brain injuries. In severe cases, a person may not be able to work or perform other activities of daily living. Medical care, personal care, and loss of income can be substantial after a brain injury. Filing a personal injury claim can help recover the cost of care for brain injuries. It can also help provide compensation for future care and financial losses.
Additionally, an accident victim may also be entitled to compensation for noneconomic or pain & suffering damages such as physical pain, emotional distress, and a decrease in quality of life.
A Sacramento personal injury lawyer can help you seek the compensation you deserve after a concussion or brain injury.
Contact a Sacramento Personal Injury Law Firm for a Free Case Review
Our legal team helps people who are injured in car accidents. Let us take care of the accident investigation and dealing with the insurance company for the other driver while you focus on healing after a car accident.
Contact The Tiemann Law Firm at (916) 999-9000 or by visiting our website to schedule a free consultation with one of our California personal injury lawyers.
Personal injury is used to define a group of legal cases involving injuries to an individual. In most cases, personal injury claims are based on negligence. However, other wrongdoing and errors can give rise to an injury claim. For example, carelessness that results in an injury to another person can result in a claim.
If you are injured, our Sacramento injury lawyers can help you pursue a claim for damages. Even though compensation does not undo the damage or ease your suffering, it can help reimburse you for your financial losses and provide some measure of justice.
What Types of Accidents Result in a Personal Injury Claim?
When a person is injured because of the negligence, errors, or wrongdoing of another party, the injured person may have a valid injury claim. Our injury lawyers handle a variety of claims involving personal injuries, including:
- Car Accidents
- DUI Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Motorcycle Crashes
- Bicycle Accidents
- Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
- Product Liability (defective products)
- Elder Abuse and Neglect, including nursing home abuse
- Premises Liability (slip and fall claims)
- Wrongful Death Claims
In some cases, the above incidents may lead to criminal charges against the at-fault party, as in the case of a DUI accident claim. However, the criminal case is separate from a civil case. Regardless of whether criminal charges are filed, you should consult an injury lawyer about your rights in a civil action. The criminal justice system represents the interest of the public, not individual injury claims.
What Types of Compensation Are Available in a Personal Injury Claim?
The amount of compensation you can receive after an injury depends on numerous factors. However, most injury claims include both economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the financial losses associated with the accident and your injury.
Examples of economic damages include, but are not limited to:
- Property damages
- Medical expenses
- Personal care costs
- Travel expenses
- Lost wages
- Medical equipment
Noneconomic damages include the pain and suffering caused by the experience and your injuries.
Examples of pain and suffering damages include, but are not limited to:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional and mental distress, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Permanent impairments and disabilities
- Loss of quality of life and enjoyment of life
It is difficult to place a price on a person’s suffering. However, an experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer understands how to use the evidence in the case to maximize the value for pain and suffering damages.
The third type of compensation might be available in some personal injury cases. Punitive damages are a special type of compensation paid in some cases. Punitive damages are intended to “punish” a party for gross negligence and reckless disregard for the safety of others. For example, punitive damages might be available in a DUI case. However, punitive damages are rare and only applicable in specific cases.
Do You Need a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you have been injured, you might be entitled to compensation for your financial losses, pain, and suffering. However, you must prove that another party was responsible for causing your injury and provide evidence to prove the value of your injury claim. Insurance companies are not interested in paying the true value of a claim. Insurance adjusters work hard to reduce the value of a claim if they cannot deny the claim outright. An attorney can help you protect your right to a fair and just settlement for your personal injury claim.
Call The Tiemann Law Firm at (916) 999-9000 to schedule a free legal consultation with an experienced Sacramento injury attorney.
How do you know if you need a personal injury attorney? Have you been injured through no fault of your own? That is a good indication that you should consult a Sacramento personal injury attorney.
Even if you decide not to hire the attorney, it can be in your best interest to talk with an attorney to learn about your legal rights and your options. The insurance company for the at-fault party is not going to explain your legal rights. Your interest and the insurance company’s interest are opposing. You need someone in your corner who has your best interest at heart.
If you are still unsure, here are three very good reasons why you need to talk to a Sacramento personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
1. You sustained permanent impairments as a result of the accident.
If you sustained permanent impairments or disabilities because of an accident or injury, you need to discuss your case with an attorney before you accept a settlement. In addition to compensation for your damages and financial losses to date, you may also be entitled to substantial compensation for future damages.
The cost of care for a disability and the loss of income from a disability can total millions of dollars over your lifetime. In many cases, economic experts and medical experts are required to correctly estimate the total value of a claim involving a permanent impairment. An attorney can help you with that.
2. The insurance company has been unresponsive.
Your time to file a personal injury lawsuit is restricted by law. If the insurance company is wasting time or being unresponsive, it may be waiting for the statute of limitations to expire in your case. Once the statute of limitations expires, you lose your right to pursue a legal action against the party who caused your injury.
Do not trust the insurance company to tell you when the statute of limitations expires in your case. Talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer who can calculate the exact date of the deadline. In some cases, certain factors could shorten or lengthen the statutory deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit.
3. The insurance adjuster is pressuring you to accept a quick settlement.
If the insurance company realizes that you have a strong claim against its insured or your claim may be worth a substantial amount, it might attempt to limit is liability by offering a small amount to settle your claim soon after your claim is filed.
Also, beware if the insurance company pushes you to settle your claim before you complete medical treatment. Once you settle your claim, you cannot receive additional compensation, even if you discover that your injuries are more severe or you discover new injuries. It is vital that you complete treatment and receive a detailed prognosis from your doctor before you settle your personal injury claim. However, if your medical treatment may take a long time to complete, you could have a problem with the statute of limitations. An attorney knows how to handle this situation too.
Contact a Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Case Review
Don’t let an insurance company convince you that you do not need an attorney. Exercise your legal right to consult a lawyer to get the information you need to protect yourself and your family after an accident or injury.
Call (916) 999-9000 to schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers in Sacramento.
Each personal injury case is different. However, almost every person who meets with our attorneys asks this question. We understand that you want to settle your personal injury case as quickly as possible for several reasons. An accident can create a financial strain for your family. You may also want to settle your claim as soon as possible because you are tired of dealing with the consequences of the accident and simply get on with your life.
However, settling your personal injury case too quickly can hurt your chance of receiving full compensation for all damages and losses. It can also have a significant impact on your future, especially if you require ongoing medical treatments, personal care, or loss of income.
When Do You Know It is Time to Settle My Claim?
It will take time to settle your personal injury claim. There is not a set timeline for settling a personal injury claim because each claim is unique. The length of time it takes to settle your case depends on a variety of factors.
One of the most important factors that determine the timeline for a personal injury case is the severity of your injuries. You do not want to settle an injury claim until you have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI).
Your doctor determines when you reach MMI. MMI is the point at which you have recovered fully or further medical treatment will not produce any meaningful recovery. Sadly, MMI for some individuals may include permanent impairments or disabilities.
How Does MMI Impact My Claim?
Understanding your prognosis helps your attorney calculate the value of your personal injury claim. If you sustain a permanent disability or impairment, your claim is worth more because you will incur future damages.
Examples of future damages associated with a permanent impairment or disability can include, but is not limited to:
- The cost of ongoing medical care or treatments;
- Ongoing physical and occupational therapy;
- Counseling and therapy to help adjust to new limitations and restrictions;
- Loss of income, including being unable to work at all or a diminished earning capacity;
- Costs of personal care and assistance with household chores; and,
- Loss of enjoyment of life and diminished quality of life.
In many cases, we consult a variety of experts when calculating the value of a personal injury claim involving disabilities and permanent impairments. We might retain medical, economic, and financial experts to calculate an amount for future damages accurately.
Personal Injury Cases Involve Numerous Steps
Even if you did not sustain a permanent impairment, there are still several steps that we must take to settle your personal injury case. The amount of time required for each step varies depending on the case, so it can be difficult to estimate an exact date for the settlement of your claim.
Some steps involved in a personal injury case include:
- Investigating the cause of the accident and injury
- Identifying the parties liable for your claim
- Gathering evidence to prove fault
- Obtaining and reviewing medical records
- Preparing a settlement package for the insurance company
- Waiting to hear from the insurance company
- Negotiating with the insurance company
If the insurance company and our legal team cannot reach a fair settlement, we can discuss other options, such as filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact a Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney for More Information
For a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers in Sacramento, call (916) 999-9000.