Making a Personal Injury Claim

Steps 1 to 5

What are the steps for making a personal injury claim successful? Injury claims do not necessarily have one specific way to be handled by insurance adjusters; however there are certain things to ensure that you are protecting your interest.

The first step that would kick off an injury claim is going to the emergency room. If you go to the emergency room you are documenting the initial trauma. Depending how bad was the accident and how bad the impact was; emergency room doctors will order X-rays and would do an overall assessment of your health.

The second step for making a personal injury claim is to ensure that your injury is being document correctly. Be sure you describe your symptoms to a Tee. Do not worry about sounding like you are complaining and do not play the tough guy card. Nurses and doctors will may an objective assessment of your condition in the Emergency Room report. If you are telling the doctor and everyone else that you are ok, and you will be ok, that will be reported.

The insurance adjuster will deduct your settlement because you were not that injured. Making a personal injury claim is more about documentation and medical records than about the actual injury. Note: we are not telling you misrepresent your injury, that will not get you anywhere and it is called insurance fraud.

We are telling you to give your real symptoms and to not make things sound better (or worse) than they really are. This is especially important if you are making a personal injury claim that only involvessoft tissue claims. There is not much objective documentation other than your testimony to others about your pain and health complications, so make sure you represent your injury when you are asked.

Going to the emergency room is crucial to any bodily injury claim. It is always a good idea to go directly to the emergency room to get double checked. You never know what could be wrong with you or your kids until you have a medical doctor inspect you. Yourpersonal injury protection coverage should cover your emergency room expenses as long as they are reasonable and necessary. Going to make sure you are ok is reasonable and necessary. You have that coverage, make sure you use it! Your health and your family�s are at stake.

The third step for making a personal injury claim is depending on your condition is to ask your doctor for a work release. Most accident pains and aches will not begin until the next day, or the day after that. You need to make sure you have a slip to show at work. Sometimes staying home can make you feel better. Most people reports feeling like �a train ran them over�. Believe us; staying home because of a car injury is not fun. You will be feeling the pain.

It is easier to ask the emergency room doctor the day of the accident than having to come back and ask for one. If you ask for it and do not use it, then you are in a better position than the alternative. So, do not leave the emergency claim without a work release, there is not reason for not asking for one. Again, if you can work the next day, then go to work, but if you cannot, the insurance adjuster will remind you that the doctor that saw you did not recommend you to not go work. Trust us, they will make you feel like you are whining and that you do not deserve yourloss of wages.

The forth step for making a personal injury claim is to visit your general practitioner. You should follow up with your doctor soon, do not allow too many days. Seeing your doctor adds validity to your claim. If the visit is only related to the vehicle accident, then your personal injury protection will cover those expenses. While you are at the doctor, ask for a referral to either to a chiropractor or a physical therapist. This will also show to the claim adjuster and to a jury that you are not out there to take advantage of the insurance company.

Also note: doctors will write everything you say or write (we know we already told you). Be aware of that. If you get there telling your doctor that you are 80 to 90% feeling better, that goes on the record. If they give you a chart to fill out, and you mark that you fill considerably better, that goes on the record for the adjuster. The adjuster will tell you that you noted on that date that you were 90% better, so you should not have a lot of pain and therefore you should not be entitled to payments for suffering after that date.

The fifth step is to go see the doctor you were referred to. All the rules above apply. They will do an intake form and give your charts to fill out. They will ask you how you feel, how are you doing? And what other factors on your life is affecting your injury? This is the question that kills many soft tissue injuries. Many unwary patience write down things like, I am very stressed out at work, or I went to pick up a box and I threw out my back trying to lift it, or I was mowing the lawn my back it�s worse afterwards.

The adjuster will be looking at your medical bills with a magnifying glass. Remember making a personal injury claim is more about documentation than the actual injury. Adjusters will tell you that the reason why you are injured is because you injured yourself after the accident. There is evidence that you are feeling good enough to mow or to pick up boxes, and that is why you re injured yourself. This is completely legal. They would not owe your for any exacerbation of the injury, you did that to yourself. So be wary of what you say. The doctor�s office is a friendly place, and that is probably why everyone tells all their life affairs. This can come back and hunt you.

Read steps 6 to 10 for making a personal injury claim

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