What Steps Should I Take To Be Successful In My Personal Injury Claim?

To have a successful personal injury claim, you need to document everything and hire a lawyer. Crucial facts need to be chronicled because often, these cases could take anywhere from six months to several years to resolve. Police reports, pictures from the scene, and witnesses are part of the documentation process.

If witnesses are involved, you want to get statements from them before their memory fades, before they move away, or have a change of heart and decide that they don’t want to be involved. Gathering facts while healing from injuries can become burdensome. Not to mention, the stress and worry that come from unpaid bills and getting your car repaired while trying to manage a claim can become overwhelming. It’s part of the reason why it’s essential to hire a personal injury attorney. The attorney can handle a lot of those tasks.

At What Point Should I Hire An Attorney If I Have Been Injured And Need To File A Claim?

You want to hire an attorney immediately after an accident. If an attorney is hired weeks or months down the road, it will be difficult to address all the factors and obtain the proper documentation for a claim. The longer a person waits, the more difficult it becomes. It is advised to have a consultation with an attorney from the start and then determine whether or not the case is worth pursuing. The lawyer will also be able to assess if all three factors (insurance, injury, and liability) are present to move forward with a case.

When an attorney is hired, the insurance carrier is going to contact them directly. The attorney is going to control the flow of information between you and the insurance company. Hiring an attorney will put you back in a position where you can worry about treating yourself and taking care of your health.

Let the lawyer worry about the facts, the recovery, the damages, the resolution, and how the case is ultimately going to conclude with an insurance carrier. 

How Soon Should I Notify The Other Party’s Insurance Of My Intent To File A Claim?

As soon as you’re in an accident, you’re going to exchange information. Under New Hampshire law, you have a duty to report the case to the state of New Hampshire, which is often done through a police report. The police department will be filing the Uniform Traffic report, which satisfies the requirement under the statute. If it is a situation where you have not reported the accident because you don’t think it’s large enough, you still need to address it with the state of New Hampshire.

As soon as you notify your insurance carrier, your agency will then be responsible for informing the other side. Clients or people injured in an accident should not call the other driver’s insurance carrier to talk about the case.

As long as you report to the police and you contact your local insurance agency to report the accident, it becomes fully documented, time and date stamped. This process will allow you to move forward in the case. Your insurance carrier will contact the other party involved and determine who’s paying for deductibles, rental cars, and damages. The case will be logged with the insurance agency, and if you want to pursue a claim, you can do so.

For more information on Having A Successful Personal Injury Claim, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (603) 880-1300 today.