6 Important Questions to Ask for Glendale Personal Injury Claims
Things are pretty stressful after an accident. You are in so much pain, have so many questions but aren’t sure who to turn to for answers. You especially aren’t aware of what your rights and responsibilities are, especially about considering legal action.
Here is some help through the essential questions you should ask about making personal injury claims.
1. Is My Personal Injury Case Valid?
You might have a personal injury claim if your injury was from an accident that wasn’t your fault. To successfully file a personal injury claim, you have to prove that it was the consequence of a third party’s negligence.
Most personal injury claims involve physical injury and damages that may cause pain and affect your life the most. However, they are not the only injuries to consider for your claim.
The compensation can also pay for any pain and mental suffering incurred because of the injury.
2. What Defines Negligence?
Negligence is required to prove a successful personal injury claim. The negligent party fails to act like any ordinary, reasonable person would in a particular scenario.
A typical example of negligence in a car wreck occurs because the driver was texting while driving. The driver is considered to have behaved negligently and may be responsible for damages.
3. What Must I First Do After an Accident?
The first thing you have to do is seek medical attention to identify if and how badly you were injured. And then get appropriately treated.
Sometimes you may not even realize you were hurt, or the injury effects may not be evident until sometime after the accident. Identifying injuries at the earliest will help with your injury claim.
4. When Should I File a Claim?
According to California’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases, you have two years from the time of the accident to file a lawsuit. This means the court may refuse to file your claim if you miss the timeframe.
There is a chance of missing the deadline if you suffer from massive injuries that take a long time to recover.
Consulting an experienced personal injury attorney in Glendale can help ensure you don’t miss your deadlines. They can help if you get involved and injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault. They will assess your case and help you with the best course of action to take.
5. What Is the Critical Evidence Required to Make a Claim?
The chances of a successful personal injury claim are higher if you have supporting documentation. Consequently, they help prove the accident’s seriousness, the timeline of events, and how badly the injury has affected your everyday life.
Examples of helpful documents include medical records, pictures, accident reports, insurance claims, and eyewitness accounts. It is always better to keep the documents safely to later show to your attorney while discussing your case.
6. Will the Negligent Party be Punished?
As personal injury claims are civil and not criminal actions, defendants don’t receive any jail time or criminal fines. It’s because it was an accident, and they didn’t harbor any malicious intent to hurt the victim.
However, the victim can recover punitive damages in some cases to compensate for the medical expenses incurred, lost wages, and related pain and suffering.
Payment for these damages is the ‘punishment’ the negligent defendant pays for behaving recklessly. It is to prevent others from acting in the same manner.
Consult Your Glendale Personal Injury Attorney
Quick action can increase the chances of a successful personal injury claim. Instead of worrying about the case, let an experienced attorney handle court proceedings and all relevant legal work while you recuperate.
You don’t have to worry about the payment because most personal injury firms offer a free initial consultation. Besides, you don’t have to pay anything to most firms unless and until they win your case for you.