Nothing in life comes easy, especially where compensation is concerned. The party at fault will try their best to prove there was no negligence or foul play and the person injured will try their best to prove otherwise.
The result of the personal injury and the amount of compensation awarded is dependent on various sectors, with the essential items being:
The severity of the injuries
How badly are you injured, and how much time does it keep you away from earning your wages. It also depends on how much medical treatment you need and aftercare.
Kind of injury sustained
Not every injury sustained is considered under personal injury, and not all personal injuries can get you fairly compensated.
This is why it’s essential to consult a lawyer whose expertise lies in personal injury. A lawyer would be able to determine the factors in your case and whether or not you can be compensated.
You might also want to read up and be informed on your own on how best you can get compensated. Here are some tips to increase your chances of security a satisfactory compensation:
What kind of expenses did you have after your personal injury accident?
Getting an accurate picture of your accident-and-injury-related expenses is imperative on the road to being adequately compensated. Collect every piece of evidence to prove your medical costs, lost wages, and other related expenses incurred. Keep all your receipts, bills, and documents for every medication, medical equipment, medical care, and therapy you had to go through since the accident.
You should also log the hours spent commuting to and fro to the various medical centers and hospitals and the hours not spent at work. Evaluate your expenses and losses and put a price against what you’ve lost. These can be:
- Your treatment costs
- Your missed paychecks
- Property damage repairs
- Parking fees at the doctor’s office
- Cab fare for an appointment
Find a lawyer to help you navigate your personal injury case
The best thing you can do right now (apart from focusing on your medical care) is to hire a lawyer to help you navigate the complicated and intimidating system of legal procedures. Filing a personal injury claim is difficult; you shouldn’t attempt it alone.
Hiring a slip and fall lawyer Toronto will help build a case, sort out your insurance issues, go through the various procedures, give you the right advice, and represent you in court.
Keep your lawyer informed of all incurred and ongoing medical treatment. It is crucial in helping you get additional compensation or increase your injury settlement. These costs are:
- Pain and suffering caused by the injuries
- Inconvenience
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional trauma
Make sure you provide the lawyer with all your evidence
Every injury claim should be backed up with sufficient evidence, so ensure you give your lawyer all the documents, bills, and receipts you collected. These items will help your lawyer build a strong case for you and ensure you can get the highest amount of possible injury settlement entitled to you.
Substantial evidence to collect includes videos and pictures of the scene of the accident and all your medical records, including imaging scans and doctor’s reports. You should also provide your lawyer with a copy of your police reports and evidence of any communication you’ve had with insurance and medical personnel.
You should also have the bills from your mechanic showing the cost of the damage to your property or vehicle. Remember that this is a non-exhaustive evidence list; you can add or change anything depending on your case. Speaking with your lawyer will help you determine what documents are essential.
Time to kickstart the investigative process
Your lawyer can start the investigative process with the essential documents in place. This also means thoroughly evaluating any losses incurred. By correctly pointing out the projected amount of loss incurred in the accident, your lawyer would be able to help increase your injury settlements. Conversely, the insurance company will appoint an insurance adjuster to evaluate the losses incurred.
Unfortunately, these adjustments always don’t act in your favour. You must take legal action if this doesn’t meet your expectations or quantify your losses. Never agree to the adjusters’ quoted evaluation and always negotiate higher compensation amounts. Your lawyer can help you determine a suitable amount and advise when to approve or reject the evaluation.
Expenses incurred during a personal injury lawsuit fall under two categories:
Specific damage: These concerns items with substantial value, such as the cost of repairing your vehicle.
General damages: These are usually costs of intangible items, such as psychological and mental trauma.
Mention the effects on your job or career progression
Psychological trauma resulting from your accident can result in changes to how you work or how you respond to the requirements of your job. How did the accident affect your career? Did it affect your daily life? How has it interrupted your regular schedule? Did your health condition deteriorate after the accident? These are all items worth mentioning to your lawyer, which can help increase your settlement.