Guide to Obtaining Compensation

For Your Personal Injuries

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TO PRESERVE

THE EVIDENCE THAT WILL SUPPORT YOUR PERSONAL  INJURY CLAIM

The common knowledge is that your case is only as good as the evidence that you have to support it. When you are injured, you need to take immediate action and write down the circumstances regarding the injury, including the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all witnesses who saw the accident and all of the medical providers, including your treating physicians who have treated you to date. Attorney Rechenberg needs this information to determine whether or not you have a compensable claim. Large gaps in treatment, or failing to go to the emergency room after an automobile collision, or not missing work as a result of the collision, are red flags to an insurance company that you do not have a compensable claim.

Photographic evidence of the injuries you suffered after an automobile accident are crucial to proving you suffered actual damages. Attorney Rechenberg will instruct you to take photographs of your bruises, stitches, or other visible signs of your injury. If you are in a hospital, recovering from your injuries, have a family member or friend take several photographs of you while lying in the hospital bed recovering from your injuries.

Photographs of the vehicles are crucial to substantiating your claim. Remember to take numerous photographs of both vehicles involved in the collision, making sure that at least one of the photographs has the license plate of your car and the tort-feasor's car. Attorney Rechenberg recommends that you immediately start keeping a diary to document your injuries and the recovery that you make. It may be several years before your case goes to trial, and since memory fades, keeping a diary will be a valuable asset towards proving your damages and recovering a substantial amount of money for your injuries.

Cases have been lost at trial because the injured party failed to preserve the evidence that caused his or her injury. If your injury claim involves a defective product, retain the product, any and all packaging, and instruction booklets as well. The evidence should be stored in a secure place where it will not be removed or damaged. Finally, you will need to keep a list of all the medical expenses that you have incurred as a result of the injury, along with the Explanation of Benefits form showing what an insurance company paid. You need to obtain copies of all of your medical bills from all the medical providers.