No one likes to be physically hurt or be part of a car accident or a part of an accident for that matter, but it is a reality of life that we all have to deal with at some point or another in life. Many people who aren’t even in jobs that have the potential to be life-threatening or physically unsafe, can sometimes become a source of injury.
Did You Get Hurt In An Accident Recently?
In the case that you do get hurt, especially if it’s an injury at work or through a car accident, you could be eligible for claims and reimbursement from the party that was at fault. In some cases, it might be your employer because they had a bad infrastructure.
In other cases, it might be you who is the defendant and someone else is filing a suit against you. In both cases, it helps to know how you can protect yourself and how you should tackle the legal system to safeguard your interests. If you have been part of an accident and are looking to file claims, or are having claims filed against you, these are some of the most important things you should keep in mind to protect your legal position.
1. Document The Site
This is difficult to do, but if you can manage to do this, you will be doing yourself a huge favour which will benefit you down the line when the matter goes to court. In the stressful scene of a car accident or a painful physical injury, the last thing on your mind is going to be documenting the situation but it is critical and very easy to do.
Smartphones have made the job so much simpler, it’s as easy as opening up your camera and recording the entire scene. You could record your thoughts as well, record the perspective of eyewitnesses, record the area and the behaviour of the other person. It’s not going to cost you anything to document the site and if you have more than what you need you can always delete it later, but evidence from the accident site itself has tremendous value in the courtroom so try to get as much as you can.
2. Stay Quiet
Contrary to popular belief, you want to stay as quiet as possible when it comes to discussing the matter with the person you have had an accident with, or whoever the concerned person is, whether that is another car owner or the manager/owner of a facility. Definitely voice the fact that you need medical attention, get an ambulance, and anything else that you need but refrain from discussing the cause of the matter with anyone.
Even if you are away from home your Georgia personal injury lawyer is the person who is going to be talking to anyone who needs to hear your story. Admitting a fault or accusing someone of the damage you have incurred is not something that needs to be done at the site of the accident and neither is it your responsibility. Leave this to your attorney. On the contrary, doing this could work against you when you go to court later.
3. Seek Help
While you might think that no one knows the case better than you because you were at the scene and you were a victim, this has nothing to do with the legal process. Being able to voice your problem in court, in front of the judge and jury, requires a specialized skill set.
It requires you to not only show evidence but to present it in a way that supports your argument while at the same time defeats the defence of the defendant. The legal system awards compensation on the basis of the evidence presented and how the problem is portrayed to the evaluation committee.
Even though you are showing the judge the same thing as your lawyer, the fact that you are presenting it the wrong way can have them draw a completely different conclusion. Not to mention that if the defendant is relying on an attorney, you will have a hard time defying their statements.
Like many things in life, protecting your rights after an accident is a relatively straightforward procedure but it requires a person to know how to properly do it, and some experience, in order to do it right. Rather than relying on your own skills, it can work out to be much cheaper and more efficient to have an expert handle the case for you.
While going at it on your own might seem like an easy and cheaper solution, it will work out to be far more expensive if you are unable to earn any compensation. Be very strategic in your approach and cover all your bases so you can manage any situation that may come up after an accident.