Injuries happen all the time, and you never know when one's going to happen. It could hit home. If it does happen, you have to know what steps to take afterward. The following is meant to help guide you and your family about what to do next regarding a personal injury of someone in your home. The image source is Pexels.
Looking for Medical Attention
The first thing to do is to take the injured person to the hospital. The injury has to be treated and recorded properly by a medical professional. Going to the doctor just makes sense. Whatever injury your loved one sustained should be tended to. He or she should be given what they need to make a full recovery. The longer you wait, the worse the injury might get, and that's not good. Plus, waiting doesn't look good if you intend on taking this to court. Make sure you get everything in writing since this is a legal issue you are planning to pursue.
Getting the Incident Report
If your intention is to take this to court, it's important to get the incident report. This should be given to you by the establishment where the incident took place. If possible, this also means obtaining the police report because this incident needs to be reported. You should also write down notes about the incident on the day it happened. Try to write down all the details, no matter how trivial. These may not seem important right now, but you might forget these details later. Your lawyer will want these reports and details.
Make a Claim if Possible
Depending on the type of personal injury, it might be possible to file a claim with an insurance company. If this happens to be the case, then don't hesitate to do so. While it's true that insurance companies are in the business of denying claims because it means they don't have to fork up any cash, you still have to do this. When you make your claim, be sure that you only stick to the facts. Avoid expressing an opinion at all costs, like how the accident happened. These sorts of statements can be used against you later, so be careful. If you need to, write everything down before you make the call. Don't sign anything until a lawyer has seen it.
Obtaining Legal Assistance
Taking your family member's case to court means you'll also need the right legal assistance. You're going to have to look for a good personal injury lawyer that can take your case. Try to meet with a number of lawyers and read reviews. The person you choose has to be the right person. You need someone that gets you and can be trusted. You and the injured family member only have one shot at getting justice, so choosing the right person is important.
Preserving Evidence From the Incident
You've written down important details about the incident, but you should also find ways to preserve evidence from the day. This could be as easy as obtaining contact information from the witnesses to preserving the clothes worn. You'll want to keep clothes exactly as they are. Leave the blood or tears; leave everything as it is. If you can, preserve this somewhere safe, maybe inside a garment bag or plastic bag if possible. Do not leave these items where something could fall on them. Try to get video evidence of the incident if possible, and take pictures.
Conclusion
These are some steps to take, but there are others, like staying off social media, especially uploading pictures where you're better. You'll also want to avoid giving a recorded statement to anyone before your case is heard. Hopefully, these tips help your family get what they deserve.
