Valentin Bosioc
Being injured can be devastating not only to you but also to your family and friends. And if you’ve become disabled after an injury, it can be even more devastating. If you are wounded and disabled in an accident, there are steps you can take to fight for your rights. This is true in the case of a vehicle accident, a household slip-and-fall accident, and especially a medical malpractice injury.
The things you do after an accident or event that disabled you will either make or break your case. This is why you should equip yourself with adequate knowledge. To help you, we’ll teach you what to consider in a legal sense if you’ve been disabled by someone.
Only Talk to the Right People
You may want to tell everybody how you got injured, but you should avoid doing this. You should be wary with whom you talk about your injuries.
Insurance companies will try to protect themselves, and you may not know who are the people working for/with them. You may say something wrong, and they may record that on tape. If you feel the necessity to talk to other people about your injury, make sure that you speak with honesty. You should never speculate and say something argumentative.
You should only talk about your injuries with:
- Your lawyer
- Your lawyer’s staff
- Your doctor
- Your doctor’s staff
If you talk to people other than the people listed above, you may end up compromising your case, or you may end up telling the wrong people about it.
Don’t Sign Documents Unless Your Lawyer Has Reviewed Them
You should avoid signing any document unless you’ve personally talked to your lawyer. If you sign the wrong document, you may hurt your case. You should never sign these documents without the presence of your lawyer:
- Anything given to you by the person at fault
- Anything delivered to you by the person at fault’s insurance company
- Anything that pertains to your case
A wrong document may lessen the compensation you’ll receive or may result in you losing your case.
Be Careful Who You Speak With On the Phone
If someone calls you and asks you about your case, you can tell them that your lawyer does not allow you to talk to anybody regarding your situation. If they’re persistent, you can say to them that they should talk to your lawyer instead. You can give them the name and contact information of your lawyer.
Communicate Frequently and Openly With Your Lawyer
If in case you decide to move or would change your phone number, you should consult your lawyer immediately. You should give him/her where you plan to move or what is your latest phone number. Your lawyer needs to be in constant communication with you, as he/she may have valuable information regarding the case. Also, he/she may need to ask you about information that’s crucial to the case.
Also, if you’d find something new regarding your case, you should immediately contact your lawyer or his/her staff. It’s advisable that you keep your lawyer informed, no matter how small the information is, as it may make a big difference. If you have insurance or if you want to sign up for insurance, perhaps speaking to a lawyer versed with insurance companies such as ones here might be of assistance.
Keep and Maintain All Your Medical Documentation and Items
You should always keep any medical document as much as you can. These materials can help you build your case, and prove that you’re entitled to the compensation.
You save these medical items:
- Pill bottles
- Casts and braces
- Prescriptions
- Medical invoices, statements, and bills
- Things that you get from your doctor, hospital, and pharmacy
These documents and items will help you prove the extent of the disability you received from the person who caused it.
Keep Your Lawyer Informed of Any Job or Work Changes
If because of your disability, your job or occupation has changed. Any changes at work, no matter how small, can be essential to your case and health.
If the following has changed, make sure to contact your attorney immediately:
- Your hours at work
- Salary you receive
- Your position at work
And if you change occupation, you should also immediately inform your lawyer.
Consult Your Lawyer About Reports You May File
When you’re planning to file any report, make sure that before you do, you consult your lawyer first. Your lawyer will be able to help you what kind of reports you should make, and what you should include in those documents.
Always Follow Your Doctor’s Advice
It’s crucial that you always work to improve yourself and your health. This is why you should always follow your doctor’s advice. If you deviate from any of his/her opinions, you may end up making your injury worse, and this may hurt your case.
And it’s never okay for you to miss any of your doctor’s appointments. If you miss even a single meeting, it may look to the court or to the insurance company that you’re not really hurt. It may also make you look like that you don’t care about your disability.
Your case’s success will solely depend on you and how you’ve dealt with the problem. And if you have questions or difficulties, you should contact your lawyer and doctor.
Disclaimer: the information provided is a general overview about disability. If you or someone you know is disabled by someone, consult an attorney as soon as possible.
Andrew Nickleson
Andrew is a passionate writer, writing about disabilities and the law. He has written about many subjects aimed to help those who have questions unanswered. In his spare time he enjoys working on volunteering for those less fortunate.
