In 2009, traffic crashes injured an estimated 5,330 Alaskans and killed 64. Accidents do happen, but when they happen to you, you should always be prepared. If you’ve been injured in a car accident or on the job, filing a personal injury claim could get your the compensation you deserve.
What is a personal injury claim? This type of claim can be filed when a person’s self is hurt or damaged by another person’s negligence. A personal injury claim does not include property damage in any way, but can be filed after car accidents, pedestrian accidents, and defective product claims.
Unintentional injury, such as from defective products, remains the third leading cause of death in Alaska, while nearly two pedestrians died in vehicle crashes out of every 100,000 in the U.S.
How to file a personal injury claim:
- Do you have a strong case? If you are in a car accident, hire a car accident attorney and speak to them to determine whether or not your case is strong enough to bring to court. Usually if you’ve been injured due to someone’s negligence or other actions, you have a strong case.
- Gather your evidence next. A personal injury lawyer will help you collect and organize all of the evidence of your case. They may often be at the scene of the accident if you call them quick enough. If any pictures were taken of the accident, these are great pieces of evidence to use in personal injury claims.
- After calling parents or loved ones about an accident, call a personal injury law firm as soon as possible so they can send over the appropriate lawyer. Every lawyer has their law specialty; you’ll want to make sure you have the right lawyer and law firm for your case.
- Review the claim with your attorney and be sure to share with them any medical documents or hospital records which can make your case stronger and earn you more money. Don’t leave any facts out yet don’t give any misleading information.
- If you don’t have the money to go to court, you can always opt for a structured settlement of some kind. This will often occur before you can file a lawsuit because the defendant will not want to go to court and have that on their record. A settlement is a good idea if you want cash sooner rather than later.
- If your case is strong enough, you can press charges against the defendant. You may also press charges if you and your attorney feel the settlement was insufficient and will not cover medical bills or time you need to take off work to recover. Understand that if you press charges, you still may not go to court and your lawyer may settle the case with the insurance company.
No matter what happens during the claims process, always have your lawyer on hand to explain anything you need help understanding. See more.