What To Do (and What Not To Do) If You Have a Personal Injury Claim in Florida

If you suffered serious injuries in an accident, filing a personal injury claim could be an important step in your recovery. Filing a personal injury claim with the help of a Miami civil attorney provides an opportunity to recover compensation for your accident-related losses, including not only your medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs, but your lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other losses as well.

When you have a personal injury claim, there are both important steps you need to take and costly mistakes you need to avoid. After an accident, it is up to you to protect your ability to seek the financial compensation you deserve. With this in mind, here is an introduction to what to do (and what not to do) if you have a personal injury claim in Florida:

5 Steps to Take After an Accident in Florida

Step #1: Seek Treatment for Your Injuries

After any type of accident, your first step should be to seek treatment for your injuries. With many types of traumatic injuries, prompt treatment can be essential for mitigating the risk of long-term (or even permanent) effects. When seeking treatment, you should be sure to mention your accident, and you should describe your symptoms with as much detail as possible. Before you leave your doctor’s office, you should make sure you have a clear understanding of your next steps for your recovery.

Step #2: Follow Your Doctor’s Advice (or Seek a Second Opinion)

After seeking treatment for your injuries, it is important to follow your doctor’s advice. This is important for both your physical and your financial recovery. If you ignore your doctor’s advice, this could lead to health consequences that could (and perhaps should) have been avoided, and you can expect the insurance companies to use this against you as well.

The only exception here is if you believe a second opinion is necessary. If you distrust your doctor’s diagnosis or treatment recommendations, you should seek a second opinion as soon as possible.

Step #3: Keep as Much Documentation as Possible

After prioritizing your medical needs, one of your next priorities should be to preserve as much documentation as possible. If you have photos or videos from the accident scene, keep these to share with your attorney. Be sure to keep copies of your medical records as well. Likewise, if you have a police report, incident report or any other type of documentation from the date of the accident, these are records that you should bring with you to your free initial consultation.

Step #4: Start Keeping Track of Your Financial and Non-Financial Losses

Along with being sure to keep any documentation of the accident, you should also do your best to keep track of your financial and non-financial losses. To do this, you can:

• Keep your medical bills, insurance payment records and receipts
• Keep your employment records (if you miss time from work)
• Keep a log or journal where you document your injuries’ day-to-day effects

All of these will be important for determining the value of your personal injury claim. Generally speaking, the more documentation you can keep, the easier it will be for your attorney to determine how much you are entitled to recover.

Step #5: Schedule a Free Initial Consultation with a Miami Civil Attorney

Speaking of your attorney, to file a successful personal injury claim, you will need an experienced Miami civil attorney on your side. You should choose an attorney who has extensive experience representing accident victims in South Florida, and you should schedule a free initial consultation as soon as possible.

5 Mistakes to Avoid After an Accident in Florida

Mistake #1: Ignoring Your Symptoms

If you are experiencing any symptoms after your accident, you should discuss them with your doctor as soon as possible. Ignoring your symptoms can leave you without the treatment you need. Not only will this potentially prolong your physical recovery (and potentially lead to long-term or permanent complications), but it will potentially create issues for your personal injury claim as well.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Your Doctor’s Advice

Just as you should not ignore your symptoms, you also should not ignore your doctor’s advice. When you have a personal injury claim, your recovery should be your top priority. If you don’t trust your doctor’s advice for any reason, you should not simply ignore it. Instead, you should seek a second opinion promptly.

Mistake #3: Assuming the Insurance Companies Will Pay What They Owe

Many accident victims assume that if they file a claim for their injuries, the insurance companies will pay what they owe. Unfortunately, this assumption can prove to be very costly. The insurance companies put their financial interests first, and they fight to avoid liability for personal injury claims by all means available. If you have a personal injury claim, you need to be prepared to fight for the compensation you deserve.

Mistake #4: Trying to Handle Your Situation on Your Own

Given that you need to be prepared to fight, it is important not to try to handle your situation on your own. Instead, you should hire an experienced Miami civil attorney to represent you—and you should do so as soon as possible. Hiring an attorney in this scenario costs you nothing out-of-pocket, as you will only pay legal fees if your personal injury claim is successful.

Mistake #5: Waiting to Take Action

If you have a personal injury claim, you should not wait to take action. You need to make sure you get the treatment you need, and you need to give your attorney time to gather critical evidence before it disappears. Unnecessary delays can prove costly, so we strongly recommend that you start the process right away.

Discuss Your Personal Injury Claim with an Experienced Miami Civil Attorney for Free

Do you need to know more about filing a personal injury claim in Florida? If so, we invite you to get in touch. To discuss your claim with an experienced Miami civil attorney for free, call us at 305-676-6677 or tell us how we can reach you online now.