How to Preserve Your Claim Under Indianapolis Personal Injury Law
If you’ve been in a serious car accident in Indianapolis or the surrounding area, it’s not surprising that you have questions and growing concerns about what to do and how to best protect yourself. According to Indianapolis personal injury law, you may be entitled to compensation for any injuries or expenses that were the result of someone else’s negligence.
A team of Indianapolis car accident lawyers can navigate you through the process of protecting your claim, but there are several things you can and should do to reinforce the legitimacy of your car accident claim.
Protecting Your Indianapolis Personal Injury Claim After an Accident
1. Notify Your Insurance Company of the Accident
First, notify your insurance provider that you’ve been involved in an accident. You should do this as soon as you’re able to. The longer you wait the more suspicious the insurance company will be. It’s important to note that insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and that they make the most money when people pay their insurance premiums and get as little money out of the insurers for injuries or damages as possible.
What this means is that you will have to prove and defend your claim every step of the way. Although we pay insurance premiums for a sense of security in the event of a tragedy, insurance adjusters will often look for ways to show that you, the victim, were somehow at fault to justify paying out as little as possible for your claim.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure you follow the next step.
2. Contact an Indiana Car Accident Lawyer
Contact one of the many Indianapolis car accident lawyers available to help. An attorney well versed in Indianapolis personal injury law will not only be able to advise you on how to protect your claim, but also explain to you the complex processes behind the personal injury law system so that you can feel empowered and secure about your claim.
3. Seek Medical Treatment
Your safety is the most valuable priority after a crash. Even before you’ve notified your insurance provider and spoken with your team of Indianapolis car accident lawyers well versed in Indianapolis personal injury law, seek medical treatment for your injuries.
Even if your injuries are not severe, a doctor’s visit or hospital trip ensures documentation of what happened to you medically because of the accident. This way, you can prove to the insurance company or the party responsible for your accident that your injuries were a direct result of the accident.
If you are unable to immediately make a doctor’s appointment or hospital trip, schedule the soonest available opening and take photos of your injuries while they’re still recent.
4. Don’t Skip Your Medical Treatments
After you’ve received treatment, make sure you follow up on the course of treatment your doctor prescribes. Failing to do so will not only jeopardize your recovery, but also give the insurance company or responsible party leverage to argue that your failure to follow your doctor’s instructions absolves them of responsibility for the remainder of your treatment, rehabilitation, or recovery.
5. Be Cautious When Speaking With Insurance Adjusters
Finally, be very cautious when speaking with your insurance adjuster. Your adjuster may ask you to sign a medical release permitting them access to your medical records – do not sign it or any other releases without first speaking to your Indianapolis car accident lawyers.
Indianapolis personal injury law doesn’t require you to sign any releases or give any statements to your insurance adjuster. You may be signing away access to your entire medical history, allowing the insurance provider to attempt to use previous treatments or complaints as evidence that your injury is the result of a pre-existing condition, thereby lessening their financial obligation to your treatment.
Remember, the road to a successful personal injury claim is paved with consistency and documentation. Knowing the requirements of Indianapolis personal injury law will increase your chances of a successful personal injury claim.