Protecting your rights after a North Carolina car accident can mean the difference between a nominal settlement with an insurance company, and fair reimbursement. While you generally have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit within the statute of limitations, there is some ongoing action you should take directly on the heels of the car accident or other personal injury you’ve sustained.
Keep Notes About A North Carolina Car Accident
I encourage clients to keep a small notebook with them at all times for the purpose of writing down anything associated with the accident. This means details from the actual event that led to the personal injury, to the pain they are experiencing after the injury. This is important for a few reasons. First, memory fades and the details of the accident are important to recall accurately and completely when making a demand on insurance. Second, unless a client communicates pain to their medical provider it will not make it into the medical record and the insurance company will deny a claim for it. Having notes to bring with you to the doctor’s or to your lawyer’s office makes all the difference.
Take Notes About Your Financial Losses
Your claim may include a demand for reimbursement for financial losses. In fact, I’ve represented numerous clients who filed Bankruptcy directly because of a severe personal injury they sustained which left them unable to work. While the pain of those losses is immediate and can be felt in the moment, down the road we often forget exact figures. By writing down financial losses specifically and keeping them in one place, you’ll build a strong record to rely on when making a claim.
Take Notes About Other Things Your Missing Out On
Birthdays, special family events, and other meaningful social events are often missed due to the timing of a personal injury, or the recovery period thereafter. While it is difficult to put a dollar figure on these events (which helps determine what your personal injury is worth) they are part of your overall claim and lend creditability to a higher damages calculation your Charlotte personal injury attorney may choose to utilize.
Justify Your Claim
Every insurance adjuster has limits as to what they can agree to in terms of settlement. It’s important to recognize that by providing greater detail and specific factual information which supports your claim, you’re enabling the insurance adjuster to either say yes to your demand, or justify your demand when requesting authority from their superior to settle with you for more than they have been authorized to do.
Call A Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyer
Call a Charlotte personal injury lawyer today. The call is free and you deserve answers to your questions. Additionally, answering questions is part of my job and I’d be glad to help in any way possible—whether you decide to move forward with my law firm or not. Call 704.749.7747 to speak with me today.