What To Do After A Loved One Suffers In Philadelphia

Even worse than suffering an injury yourself is watching a loved one go through the pain and suffering of an injury that was caused through no fault of their own. We want to do all we can for a friend or family member who is being treated for an injury, but you can’t do it all. You may have to leave the medical treatment up to medical professionals, and you should consider contacting a caring attorney to handle the personal injury claim.

Handling the affairs of someone who has been injured or killed can be overwhelming. You may find yourself under a mountain of medical bills, letters from insurance companies, legal documents, funeral expenses, all while trying to go about your daily business. Depending on the severity of the injury or harm, your loved one may be unable to handle everything, leaving you with the responsibility. Before you get too overwhelmed, reach out for help to make sure you aren’t forced to deal with it all on your own.

Handling the Paperwork

It may be important to contact a personal injury attorney so that a professional can handle the claims process, and you don’t have to. With so many things going on, running to the doctor’s office, dealing with bills, etcetera, filing a legal claim can be too much to handle on your own. Your Philadelphia personal injury attorney will make sure the legal claim is filed in time, all necessary parties are named, the defendants are served, and you and your loved ones get the compensation you deserve.

When you contact an attorney, make sure to ask them about representing your loved one with no upfront fees. Also, ask about a free initial consultation, so you can make sure that they are the right lawyer for you. You need a personal injury attorney who will listen to your concerns, keep you and your family’s interests at heart, and fight for you against the other side’s lawyers and the insurance companies.

To help your attorney in the claims process, it is important to keep track of all relevant documents and information. The best way to do this may be to keep a separate file of anything related to the injury or incident. This includes medical reports, accident reports, police reports, correspondence from anyone involved, letters from the insurance company, hospital or medical bills, and anything else that may be relevant. If you are unsure of what kinds of documents to keep, err on the side of keeping them. Your attorney can sort through them to make sure they have all the necessary information to pursue the legal claim.

Additionally, it may be helpful to write down any information you remember from the incident. This includes time, place, and location of the accident or incident, who was involved, and whether there were any witnesses. Our recollection fades with time, so it is important that you record as much information as possible, shortly after the incident, when it is fresh in your mind. With easy access to cameras on our mobile devices, pictures or videos can be very useful to create a record of what happened, and the extent of any damages or injuries. Your attorney can use this information in building a case against the defendants who caused the injury and damage.

What NOT to Do

Sometimes it is just as important to know what not to do after a loved one has suffered an injury. While it may not seem like a big deal, some of the things you do or say could have an impact on your ability to recover damages for the injuries.

Don’t talk to the insurance company. This most often occurs in car accidents, when the other driver’s insurance company may contact you for information. The questions they ask, and information they seek may seem relatively harmless; however, it is important to remember that they are professionals who want to pay out as little money as possible. They may be crafting questions in order to get you to say something that could reduce the likelihood that you’ll recover damages for your injuries. The only thing you need to do is refer them to your attorney, and let your lawyer deal with the insurance companies.

Another thing to remember after a loved one is injured is to try and keep the issue private. While it may be tempting to post information, pictures and statements on social media pages, you should limit what information you put out there because social media posts may be admissible in a court case. Keep matters about the injury and treatment between loved ones, your doctor, and your attorney. Once information gets out on the internet, it is almost impossible to delete it.

It is also important that you don’t wait too long after a loved one is injured before you seek out help. Contacting a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer early on will not only make your life easier, but there may be a time limit to filing a personal injury claim. Especially if your personal injury claim involves negligence by a government agency or city employee, you may only have 6 months to file an official notice of claim with the government. If you wait too long, you may lose your chance to be compensated.

Protecting Your Loved Ones After a Personal Injury

Before you decide to hire a Philadelphia personal injury attorney, make sure that they have your best interests at heart. The most important part of a personal injury case is making sure your loved one is protected. They deserve to be compensated for their injuries, and the person responsible for causing the injuries should be held responsible.

At Gilman & Bedigian, our focus is on getting you the compensation you deserve, so you and your loved ones can focus on recovery. We charge you nothing up front, and you will not have to pay anything unless your case has reached a successful resolution. We will keep you informed of all developments, listen to your concerns, and leave the question of whether you want to accept any settlement completely up to you. Call our office today for a free consultation.