If you've been injured in an auto accident that was the fault of the other party, you may be entitled to receive some compensation for your pain and suffering. You'll probably have to negotiate with the other party's insurance adjuster, who will likely work hard to minimize any compensation that you request. It's helpful to hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you who has the experience needed to ensure that negotiations are made in your favor and to take your case to court if necessary. You can provide some valuable support to your lawyer and help them maximize the compensation amount that you're awarded by making use of the following tips:
Take Lots of Photographs
An excellent way to support your personal injury attorney while they're representing you is to take plenty of photographs that can be used as visual evidence within your case. Start by going back to the scene of the accident and snap photos of any street signs, skid marks, lights, landmarks and other visual identifiers that will help provide some insight into exactly where and how the accident took place. You should also photograph any damage that has been done to your vehicle before having it repaired.
Additionally, it's important to take pictures of any visual bodily injuries you have as soon after the accident as possible and about once a week thereafter so you can document your healing progress and prove the length of time that is takes for you to fully recover. Have two copies of the photos made so you can give one set to your lawyer and one to your insurance adjuster so they don't have to share access to them.
Maintain a Daily Progress Diary
In addition to taking some photographs for visual proof of the accident and your injuries, it's a good idea to maintain a daily diary to document your pain and suffering and how things are progressing as you heal. Spend a few minutes each evening writing down the kinds of medication you've had to take throughout the day, whether you had to miss work due to pain and injuries, how much income you've lost for the day as a result of your accident, and your overall mindset about how you're progressing and healing overall.
You should also include doctor's appointments, therapy sessions, and other obligations that you had during the day because of your injuries. Use notebooks to document your daily information so you can start a new one each week and give the old one to your lawyer to make copies so they're kept up-to-date on your progress. Your lawyer can use the information in your daily diary to calculate how much compensation to negotiate for in your case.
Collect Witness Statements
Another effective way to support your personal injury lawyer is to collect statements from various witnesses who have first-hand knowledge about the accident or your resulting pain and suffering. Ask anyone who was in the vehicle with you to write a statement for your lawyer that clearly explains their understanding of how the accident happened and who was at fault. When you head to the scene of the accident to take photos, you can ask residents in the area if they saw the accident. If so, have them write short statements that explain what they personally saw.
You can also ask friends and family to write statements about the pain and suffering they see you in and how it's affecting your life as well as theirs. Your vehicle repair technician, employer, doctor, and therapist can all provide you with statements to submit to your lawyer that can be used to successfully negotiate fair compensation with the party who was at fault for the accident.
With photos, progress diaries, and statements in hand, your lawyer should be able to win your case and secure compensation that you're happy to accept. For more information, contact a car accident lawyer like Master Weinstein Moyer PC.
