Learning More About Your Accident

Filing a personal injury claim can be a stressful situation--especially if you're going it alone. Therefore, the best thing you can do to increase your chances of success right now is to hire a personal injury attorney to represent you and provide you with sound legal guidance.

Additionally, however, there are a few other steps you can take to personally increase your chances of success in your case, regardless of whether you're dealing with a car accident claim, slip-and-fall claim, or anything in between.

Ask Questions During Negotiations

First of all, understand that the responsible party's insurance company will most likely open with a low-ball offer, hoping that you'll accept it without consulting an attorney or thinking twice about it. However, if you want to maximize your personal injury settlement, you should never accept the first offer.

You shouldn't outright reject it right away, either. Instead, ask questions (or make sure your lawyer asks questions) about the justification for the low-ball offer. By being aware of the other party's arguments for making you a low settlement offer, you and your lawyer will be better prepared to refute their reasoning in court.

Emphasize Emotional Aspects

Another important step you can take when building your case with your lawyer is that of emphasizing the emotional suffering you've had to endure as a result of your injuries. Understand, however, that emphasizing does not mean embellishing.

After all, while your ultimate settlement will be largely based on monetary factors (such as how much you incurred in medical expenses as a result of the accident), you can often pursue reimbursement for "pain and suffering" or "emotional distress," as well.

Keep Detailed Documentation

Finally, perhaps the best thing you can do to increase your chances of winning a fair settlement in your personal injury case is to provide as much detailed documentation as you can. This includes not only photos of the accident scene and statements from witnesses, but documentation proving the amount of money you've lost as a result of the accident.

This will include not just hospital bills, but calculations of lost wages (if your injuries rendered you unable to work), transportation costs (if you were unable to drive), and anything else that may be financially relevant to the case.

Negotiating a personal injury claim isn't easy and is something you shouldn't face alone. With the help of an experienced personal injury attorney and by following these tips, however, you'll be in be in a much better position to reach a fair settlement and get on with your life.