Not every case is worth millions of dollars. In fact, if it were up to insurance companies, no case would be worth millions of dollars. Their only goal is to get you to settle to the least amount of money possible, so it’s up to you and your personal injury attorney to ensure you get fairly compensated. The good news is that you can do it, even if you don’t have the cash for lawsuits just lying around. Here are five things you can do to maximize your personal injury settlement.
Get Medical Treatment
Winning your personal injury settlement means getting compensated for all your medical bills and other expenses. In order to do that, you need a clear picture of the injuries you sustained. Have a medical professional document all your injuries and devise a treatment plan. This will help you get legal funding for lawsuits if need be, as well as make insurance companies more likely to offer a fair settlement.
Keep in mind that some injuries will not be immediately obvious at the scene of the accident, so even if you don’t think you’ve been injured, make sure you seek medical attention to catch those invisible injuries, such as internal bleeding, brain injuries, or concussions.
Keep Track of Your Treatment
Provide your attorney with a complete list of doctors that treated you. Keep track of all prescriptions and medicines taken, preferably saving all bottles or containers of medicine. Document limitations on your physical activities, as well as any missed wages due to your injury.
Don’t Be Too Eager
Insurance companies can sometimes make an offer right off the bat. However, these offers are usually far below an offer that would be considered fair, and you might end up with a settlement that doesn’t even nearly cover all your expenses.
If you’re struggling for cash, instead of accepting the offer before consulting an attorney, consider applying for legal finance loans. Personal injury funding is non-recourse. This means that you don’t have to return any pre-settlement funding unless you win your case, and it will give you enough time to negotiate fair compensation.
Don’t Forget Future Damages
While you may feel the offer on the table is enough to cover all your medical expenses, make sure you’re aware of any future costs that will occur. If you still haven’t finished your treatment before the settlement, future recovery might also bring considerable expenses. Once you sign a settlement, there’s no going back and renegotiating the terms, so consult your personal injury attorney before signing anything.
Build Your Case
Doing the work to build your case methodically can maximize your damages even if you settle out of court. Remember, even though you’re negotiating your personal injury claim out of court, you’ll want to collect as much evidence as possible.
Take photos of the scene of the accident and look for any potential witnesses that were around. Legal settlement loans can help you ensure you get the best experts working on your case, including expert witnesses. If the insurance company senses that you’re not doing the work to build your case, they’ll be more likely to offer you a settlement that’s not fair and can maximize your personal injury settlement.
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