When To Act Quickly And When To Slow Down During The Injury Claims Process

If you are injured at work or in an automobile accident, life can get hectic in a hurry. You may find it difficult to juggle your health, your family, your claim, your finances and more as everything plays out, and that can cause you to rush through some decisions or spend too much time focusing on things that don’t matter.

With that in mind, we wanted to use today’s blog to look at some of the times when you’ll want to act quickly, and some of the times you’ll want to slow down in your pursuit of compensation after a work or personal injury accident.

Act Fast Or Slow Down? What’s Best During Injury Compensation

There are a number of times where you’ll want to get your ducks in a row quickly and other times where you’ll want to take some time before acting during the injury process. Here’s a look at when to work quickly and when to slow down.

When To Act Fast

Let’s start by talking about some of the times where you’ll want to act quickly during the compensation process:

Severe Injuries – If you or someone else has suffered severe injuries in the accident, act quickly to get medical help on the scene. Don’t worry about the details of the accident, simply work on getting help to your location.

Doctor Examination – If you will be pursuing compensation for your injuries, or even if you’re just considering the possibility, make sure you are seen by a medical specialist in a timely manner. If you don’t seek treatment soon after the accident, the insurance company may question the extent of your injuries or if they actually occurred somewhere else. Seek out a professional medical evaluation quickly after an accident.

Death Benefits – If a loved one has unfortunately passed away as a result of their injuries, it’s important to work with an attorney to get the ball rolling on your claim. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to collect evidence and put forth a strong claim. Witnesses are more likely to misremember facts if more time has passed as well. We understand this is an extremely emotional time, which is why you should connect with a lawyer and let them handle the financial aspects while you focus on yourself and your family.

When To Slow Down

There are also times where you absolutely need to slow down and ensure you do things properly, otherwise it can hurt your claim. Here’s a look at some of the times when you need to slow down:

Evidence Collection – If your injuries are mild or you’ll be collecting compensation for property damage, take a few minutes to collect evidence from the scene of the accident. Grab your smartphone and take some pictures of your vehicle damage, the accident scene, your injuries and anything that could prove helpful to your claim. If anyone witnessed the incident, grab their contact information.

Talking To The Insurance Company – Before you go over all the details with the insurance company, take some time to go over your story. We’re not saying that you should lie, but oftentimes it’s helpful to write down the details of your accident so that you can easily reference names, dates, times or facts instead of guessing. Remember, the insurance company is not on your side, and their goal is to limit their liability, so oftentimes it’s helpful to talk with a lawyer and prepare for the questions they’ll ask so that you don’t accidentally tank your claim.

You Get A Settlement Offer – We understand that you may be excited at the prospect of a settlement offer that will help you financially and put an end to your case, but be very careful about signing anything before reviewing the offer with your lawyer. You could be leaving tens of thousands of dollars or more on the table by jumping at an initial offer. Don’t let the other side bully you into accepting an offer before you talk it over with a lawyer.

If you’re aware of when to act quickly and when to slow down after a car accident or work injury, we’re confident that you’ll be in a good place when it comes to your injury compensation. You can also end up in a good place by connecting with Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm. For more information, or for help with your injury claim, reach out to Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.