There are several steps to take to properly handle personal injury claims. The first step is to file an immediate report when the injury occurs. Whether it happens at work or in a public place such as a Lafayette, Indiana store or restaurant, many businesses will have claim paperwork on hand that you will need to fill out immediately after the incident to file your claim. You will need to notify a manager or person on the property about your personal injury. If this is an auto incident personal injury claim, then the police should be immediately called to the scene. In other dangerous or especially severe personal injuries, police may also be called to the scene.
Following the initial report, the injured person should go to the doctor’s office. The doctor will determine what the injury is and how serious the injury is. The doctor will also be able to determine if the injury was pre-existing and what occurred to make the injury much more painful and harmful. The doctor will then report back to the payee for the personal injury claim, which is usually an insurance company.
In some cases, the doctor may recommend several sessions of physical therapy to rehabilitate an injured joint, limb, or muscle. This is particularly common among seniors and elderly patients who may experience a greater deal of suffering than a younger person with the same type of injury. The insurance company will approve or deny the claim based on the severity of the incident, your part in the injury, and the doctor’s report.
One factor that is important when handling a personal injury claim is to consider each and every aspect of the incident. Because the payee will look at all circumstances surrounding the incident, it is important that you consider your own fault and negligence in the accident if there is any. This is important to report also because the payee of the claim will look into this. You should also consider the factors that contribute to the claim, such as if something was in the wrong spot that caused you to get injured or if someone did not perform their job correctly which caused you to get injured.
After evaluating all aspects of the injury and the insurance company’s report, the payee will most likely offer you a settlement. The settlement will pay for any lost wages from the incident (in worker’s compensation cases) as well as doctor’s bills and therapy session costs. You can either choose to accept the settlement that the payee offers or you can chose to dispute the incident in court if you feel that more compensation is needed to heal from the personal injury.
This route can potentially go to trial and may prolong the entire incident’s resolution by weeks, months, or even years before a jury is able to hear the case and reach a verdict. This may not be the best option for people who wish to put the accident behind them and move on with their lives. The court will determine how much compensation you will be awarded and the time span that the compensation will cover your personal injury. After you accept the settlement or decide to take the dispute to court, you will be awarded personal injury compensation.