Although there have been some promising talks surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s clear that the virus isn’t going away anytime soon. That said, people are still getting injured, and COVID-19 is making it a little bit trickier to handle a standard personal injury case. In today’s blog, we share some tips for how to best move forward with a personal injury case in Minnesota in the time of the coronavirus.
Personal Injury Lawsuits During The Coronavirus
Here’s a look at some of the challenges you might find yourself facing if you are trying to move forward with a personal injury lawsuit during the time of COVID-19, and more importantly, how to overcome these challenges.
1. A Doctor’s Evaluation – It’s important to get a doctor’s evaluation to document your injuries after a personal injury accident, but it can be a little harder to get into the clinic while COVID-19 is running rampant. It’s still relatively easy to be seen in an emergency department or urgent care, but odds are it will be a little tougher to get to your general practitioner. Seeing a doctor sooner rather than later is preferred to waiting to see a specific specialist, so don’t wait for days after your injury to be seen. Head to the ER or an urgent care facility to have your injuries documented if it’s going to take a while to be seen otherwise.
2. Witnesses – Fewer people are out and about, so it may be harder to find someone who witnessed your accident. That being said, if anyone did see your accident, be sure you get their contact information or phone number before they leave the scene. If you don’t have the contact information for anyone that witnessed your accident, talk to your lawyer. They may be able to collect video evidence from nearby stores or contact the police to see if anyone called in to report the accident and gave their contact information.
3. Court Closures – Courts are still in flux in Minnesota as to how they can safely hear cases and keep people safe during the time of COVID. This can slow down your case a little bit. On the plus side, it will give you more time to work with your employer’s insurance company to come to a fair resolution to your case. Most cases get settled out of court, but for the cases that head before a judge, they could take some extra time. Use this time to make your arguments airtight.
4. COVID Itself – A work injury can leave your body in a weakened state, and that could render you more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Make sure you are taking distancing precautions if you are recovering from an injury that could make it harder to fend off COVID-19. Follow your doctor’s instructions and maintain a safe social distance from others who may be high-risk while you recover from a work injury.
5. Meetings – In a standard injury case, you may meet with your lawyer a couple of times before sitting down with the other side as part of a mediation arrangement. COVID-19 makes this a little trickier, but thankfully a lot of these meetings can be conducted in a similar manner over Zoom or Facetime. Sync up with your work lawyer about how these meetings can be conducted in a safe manner.
6. Deadlines – Even though courts may be closed or delayed in hearing cases, it doesn’t mean you can ignore normal deadlines. COVID can also make meeting those deadlines more difficult, so make sure you sync up with a lawyer to ensure all your paperwork is filed correctly and in a timely manner. Life is a little crazier during COVID, and it can be easy for deadlines to get overlooked. Let us handle your case and ensure all your deadlines are met.
For more information about pursuing a personal injury claim during the era of COVID-19, or to talk to a lawyer about your legal options, reach out to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Office today.
