8 Tips to Maximize Your Personal Injury Compensation

Published on: 11/19/20 — In 

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If you sustain an injury because of another person’s negligence, you may get compensation by filing a personal injury suit. Often, personal injuries result in huge medical bills, lost income, and inability to perform certain daily tasks. Let's look at different ways to maximize your personal injury compensation.

Chicago personal injury lawyer Chris Ktenas

In a successful personal injury case, you may be able to recover damages for medical costs, such as hospitalization, physical therapy, medical devices, prescriptions, lost wages, and emotional pain and suffering. If you’ve been injured, contact Ktenas Injury Lawyers today to determine how to proceed with your injury case.

Maximizing Your Personal Injury Compensation

In a personal injury claim, it’s up to you (the plaintiff) to prove that the defendant’s negligence caused your injury. A successful claim relies on quick action, well-documented evidence, and good legal advice from a personal injury attorney. Here are eight ways to maximize compensation in your injury claim.

Record and Preserve Evidence

You can’t make a case with incomplete evidence. The foundation of any successful case is abundant evidence. So, if you’ve been injured because of another person's negligence, you must document everything as soon as possible. For instance, if you’ve been involved in a car accident, you should take pictures of the scene of the accident, property damage, and any visible injuries. Also, don’t leave the scene of the accident without getting the at-fault driver's contact and insurance information.

Next, call 911 or the police right away, even though the accident seems like a minor fender bender; this way you will fill an official police report while the details are still fresh in your mind. If you decide to file a claim later, this police report will be invaluable.

After your injury, document your daily progress. Record how you feel, and any medical or legal advice you’ve received. Note all the changes you notice in your life since suffering the injury. 

Also, save any relevant bills, communications, receipts, and medical records. Contact a personal injury attorney if you’re unsure what to preserve and what to discard. Also, it's crucial to note that when in doubt, too much information is much better than too little.

Be honest about your condition and don’t exaggerate your symptoms to garner sympathy from the court. Also, don’t maintain stoicism if you’re genuinely suffering. Usually, courts look favorably on honest plaintiffs who cooperate from start to finish.

Seek Medical Treatment

Winning your personal injury claim means getting fair compensation for your injuries and other damages. However, to do this, you must have an accurate picture of your losses. A doctor and other health care professionals can help you document your injuries and come up with a treatment plan for recovery. This documentation can get the at-fault party to come to the table and offer a higher settlement.

You must seek medical treatment immediately after the accident, even though you’re unsure about the extent of your injuries. And if your doctor recommends a treatment plan, you must follow it carefully. This medical care often includes seeking any necessary physical therapy and treatment for things, such as flashbacks and post-traumatic stress. 

Value Your Damages Fully

Many personal injury victims assume that they won’t be compensated for all their damages. But the truth is that you can be compensated even for damages caused by serious injuries. 

After sustaining injuries, you could be suffering from losses and injuries that you aren’t aware of. However, as a victim, it’s your legal right to be compensated for permanent injuries, especially if your body no longer functions as it did before the accident. With the help of a personal injury attorney, you can even recover emotional damages as well as your out-of-pocket losses. Our experienced Illinois personal injury lawyer can help you evaluate these kinds of damages individually. 

Don’t Be Too Eager

After sustaining injuries, it’s easy to want a check in your hands immediately. But what many victims don’t know is that accepting the first offer you receive from the insurance company will prevent you from maximizing your personal injury settlement. 

To get fair compensation, don’t rush to settle the matter. Let the other party know that you’re ready to fight for your rights by rejecting their offer. This means you can reject the first, second, or even third offer. But always consult an attorney for legal counsel about whether to accept or decline a settlement offer. 

maximize your personal injury compensation

Factor In Future Damages

Minor injuries might take a short time to heal, whereas severe injuries can cause complications in the future. Moreover, you may even never recover from some of these injuries fully. Thus, you must consider future treatment when seeking compensation.

So, it’s crucial to include future damages when filing your personal injury lawsuit. In some personal injury claims, future expenses might consist of the majority of damages you’ve incurred. Working with a doctor or other health specialists can help you document all these damages so you can get fair compensation for them, too. 

Work On Your Injury Claim

Your work ethic is one of your strongest defenses. If you put in the time and effort to build a strong case, you’ll send a powerful message of perseverance and tenacity to the other party. 

Before your case goes to trial, use the interim time to collect evidence, follow up on medical reports, get more witness details, and write as much down as you can. If the other party presents you with discovery demands, be sure to see them through. 

Make sure your personal injury lawyer is actively working on your case, as well. Make sure they’re collecting depositions, requesting medical records, and strengthening your case. This isn’t the time to idle around. Instead, it’s time to show the other party that you mean business and are ready to fight for justice.

Stay Away From Social Media

If you’ve sustained a personal injury, you may want to share your story with your social media followers, either to gain sympathy, vengeance, or both.

However, it’s wise to stay off social media, while your case is ongoing. In this age of digital connectivity, it’s too easy to say, share, post, or comment on something that could hurt your chances of getting fair compensation. 

Claiming you injured your knee a week ago, yet your buddy posts a video of you shooting hoops last weekend? The other party will be happy to get this kind of incriminating footage. Stay off social media and don’t give the other party a leg to stand on.

Make A Good Impression 

The other party will make a settlement offer based on what they think a jury might award at trial. Juries make decisions based on what they see and hear during the trial. So, it’s crucial to put your best foot forward. 

This means you should be polite and respectful at all times. Further, you should do your best when you’re due in court. It’s crucial to note that showing up late to court hearings, dressing sloppily, and treating the party disrespectfully is a recipe for disaster. Rather, be professional and classy.

Listen keenly, speak carefully, and act appropriately. These little things can help convince the at-fault party that the jury will be sympathetic to what happened to you. And this small effort can encourage them to offer you a fair settlement.

We’ll Help You Maximize Your Personal Injury Compensation

After a personal injury accident, you must seek the maximum, fair compensation you’re entitled to.

However, setbacks can be around every corner and one wrong move can hinder you from getting the fair compensation you deserve. Looking to maximize your personal injury compensation, but are unsure where to start? This is where our experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers come in.

Our team of knowledgeable and dedicated attorneys is ready and willing to help you through this challenging time in your life. From personal injury claims to property damage claims and car accident claims, we cover it all.

Contact Ktenas Injury Lawyers Today!

If you have sustained personal injuries in Illinois, the team of skilled legal counsel at Ktenas Injury Lawyers can help you get fair compensation. Our dedicated and experienced car wreck lawyers will help you navigate the entire personal injury process from start to finish and maximize your personal injury compensation. Contact us today at (312) 300-2515 or chat with us online for a free and confidential consultation about your personal injury case.

Our attorneys handle personal injury claims in Chicago and throughout Illinois, including:

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