/ WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'VE BEEN INJURED

If you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, we recommend taking these steps immediately after an your accident:

1. SNAP PHOTOS

Shoot photos of what caused your accident. This could be the cars involved in a crash or the spilled liquid on which you slipped. Make sure to also take pictures of the scene and location of the accident.

2. REPORT THE INCIDENT

Call the police after a motor vehicle crash. A crash report will be created. In the case of a trip or slip and fall, speak to a manager or employee of a store or business. An incident report may be filled out. We can use these later to establish what happened and when.

3. SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY

Get the medical treatment you need to be well. Putting it off can only make recovery worse or extend your suffering. From a legal perspective, if you don’t seek care right from the start, the at-fault party’s insurance company or defense attorney can argue the severity of your injury.

4. CONTACT US

The earlier we get involved, the earlier we can advise you on the best way to proceed. ​Reach us here, by email or by phone (305-255-5488).

/ TIPS

DON'T PUT OFF MEDICAL CARE. DON'T TOUGH IT OUT.

We get that you’re busy, and you certainly don’t want to spend time in an emergency room or seeing doctors. But, for your health and the best chance for your case, seek the medical attention you need and follow the advice and treatment recommendations the medical professionals provide–even if that means rest or follow-up appointments.

True. No one wants to spend time tending to an injury. However, if you are in pain but tough it out and ignore medical advice in order to spend time with your family or friends, continue working a physically demanding job or participating in physical activities (exercising, lawn or household work, swimming, walking long distances, etc.), the at-fault party’s insurance company or defense attorneys can question your level of injury and pain (“How injured can you be if you didn’t go to the hospital / see the specialist that you were referred to?” “How bad can the pain be if you were able to go swimming?”). Even worse, they can argue that your injury might result from these other activities and not the initial accident!

STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA

Keep all photos off social media. Even simple ones that don’t show any physical exertion will be used by the insurance company and defense attorneys to argue the severity of your injury. Social media has made it easy for them… “You look fine in this photo. You’re standing up ok. You don’t look like you’re in pain.”

URGENT CARE CLINICS

Frustrated with emergency rooms and hospitals? Consider seeking out initial treatment at an urgent care clinic. They’re often less busy, faster and, if you don’t actually have a viable claim, less expensive. For your legal case, they’re just as good as going to an emergency room.

DON'T TALK TO THE DEFENDANT, THEIR LAWYERS OR THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY

You should get an attorney (we recommend us…). Even if you don’t have an attorney yet, don’t talk to them. Their job is to get you to say things that put doubt as to responsibility or your level of pain and suffering. Even a simple interaction (“How are you doing?” “Fine.” “Fine? Then you must not be in that much pain.”) can be manipulated. This is why you have an attorney like us. Let us do the talking to these representatives.

Another tactic they make take is to get you to agree to what seems like a large sum of money in the very beginning of your treatment process. They’re doing that because they know this amount is small compared to what their full responsibility may be. Again, let us negotiate. We know to avoid these pitfalls.

FINISH YOUR TREATMENTS

The real in-earnest negotiations begin after your medical treatment is completed so that we know the final expenses. A payout from a settlement or court case is a one-time deal (though depending on your injury, the payout may include future expenses). If you haven’t completed treatment and later feel you need to seek more care after the case is over, we can’t pursue more money from the at-fault party’s insurance company.