The Life of A Personal Injury Claim

These are the steps you need to take to protect your interests if you’ve been hurt from a car
accident, dog bite, or slip & fall.
1. Call for help:
a. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, call 911 for a traffic collision report &
exchange information with the other driver(s).
b. If you’ve been hurt from a dog bite or animal attack, call animal control for an
animal attack report & get the animal owner’s information.
c. If you’ve been hurt in a slip & fall or premises liability incident, make sure to get
an incident report from whoever is in charge of the premises; make sure to get
the contact information of whomever is in charge of the premises.
2. Get treatment:
a. Oftentimes after an injury, your adrenaline level is high and most people don’t
realize the extent of their injuries. Don’t wait for the pain to fully set in before
you get help; going to an ER or Urgent Care immediately after an incident will
allow doctors to examine you and do imaging to see the extent of injuries.
3. Contact an attorney to handle your case:
a. With a competent & effective attorney on your side, you can focus on recovering
from your injuries and getting back to your normal life. Your attorney will file a
claim with the appropriate insurance coverages based on your situation:
i. If it’s a car accident, it will be a claim with the other driver’s insurance.
ii. If it’s a dog bite, it will be with the homeowner’s insurance of the dogs
owner.
i. If it’s a premise liability, then the insurance of that establishment.
b. While your attorney fights for you, your job is to follow through with proper
treatment; make sure to stay consistent with your medical care and to adhere to
your provider’s advice.
c. Once treatment is complete, your attorney will draft a demand letter; this letter
breaks down liability, injuries, treatment, and the amount of compensation
being demanded for your case.