When you are injured in some type of accident where a negligent party caused your harm, you may be able to file a personal injury claim for financial compensation for the losses you suffered. Pennsylvania’s modified contributory negligence system allows compensation to be recoverable after an accident as long as you are under 51% responsible for causing it.
Since the purpose of filing a claim is to get the full and fair compensation you need for your harm, there are some things to keep in mind that will help you meet your objective. If you have never filed a personal injury claim before, you may not know how to proceed and what actions you should and should not do. Working with an attorney licensed in your state and experienced with tort law can be extremely beneficial to helping you work through the personal injury claim process. The personal injury lawyers at the O’Donnell Law Offices are here for you when you need trusted and sound legal guidance.
Actions to Avoid When Filing a Personal Injury Claim
Even if you are severely injured and you have a legitimate claim for compensation, there may be the urge or inclination to do certain things thinking that your actions will help your claim. Or, you may decide to do something not necessarily because you think you are helping your claim, but you just do not realize that your actions are actually harmful to your claim.
Consider the following actions to avoid when filing a personal injury claim:
Stay Off Social Media
Social media may be something you are active on every day but when a legal claim is filed for compensation, one of the primary sources of information about you that insurance adjusters are going to scrutinize is any of your social media accounts. What you post may seem innocuous when it in fact, is detrimental to your claim and will be used against you. For this reason, if you can stay off of social media until your claim has closed and you have your settlement you can avoid making any unintentional missteps that can jeopardize your ability for securing maximum recovery.
Do No Delay Medical Treatment
If you are hurt or if you are unsure if you suffered injuries you should always consult with a medical professional soon after your accident for a professional examination. If you are injured, being properly diagnosed can help you get on a treatment plan for recovery if recovery is possible. And when you are prescribed a treatment plan, make sure to follow through and do everything your doctor says.
Do Not Withhold Information or Lie To Your Lawyer
When you work with an attorney, their job is to secure the best possible outcome for you, and to do this, they need to know the true entirety of your accident experience. If you leave certain details out of your story or if you make things up, this can lead to an unsuccessful claim where you do not receive any financial compensation at all.
Speak with a Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney Today
To learn more about filing a personal injury claim in Pennsylvania, please schedule a free initial consultation with the Kingston personal injury attorneys at the O’Donnell Law Offices serving clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton, and Pittston at 570-821-5717 or online today. There is no fee or cost until we win your case.
Source:
legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.071.002.000..HTM