L. Michael Bly, Personal Injury Team Chair
Pickrel, Schaeffer & Ebeling has experienced litigators who can assist you after a personal-injury automobile accident, whether you are the injured party or the one who caused the injuries. In the instances where you are the injured party, these five steps are critical to preserving your rights and maximizing your outcome:
Take care of yourself. Following the collision, if you are experiencing pain or symptoms, get medical attention as soon as possible. Consistency and documentation of your injuries, treatment, and recovery are extremely important for presenting an effective claim. Even if you haven’t seen him or her, make sure that your family physician is informed of your involvement in the collision, and make sure that the providers with whom you are treating do so as well.
Seek legal counsel sooner rather than later. Some personal injury firms subscribe to services that monitor police reports and actively pursue accident victims with brochures, videos, and other types of solicitation. While it is important to seek legal representation sooner rather than later, do not do so without fully investigating your potential attorney. In our experience, word-of-mouth recommendations have produced the best results. While you may believe in your ability to represent yourself, unless you have the experience and training to deal with the insurance company representing the at-fault party, you will not be satisfied with the results.
Let your attorney do the talking for you. Never speak directly with the insurance company representative and assume everything you say could be recorded. The insurance company representative will want a sworn statement and other information from you about the nature and extent of your injuries, your treatment, bills, and your past medical history. Allow your attorney to guide you through this process and do not do it alone.
Avoid social media. Resist the urge to post photos of your damaged vehicle or your injuries on any social media platform. Once you publish information concerning your injuries on the internet, it is very difficult to remove something from the internet once it is posted. While you might feel fine following the collision and want to share that with your friends, if your injuries are more involved than you originally thought, explaining away a potentially damaging social media post could harm your claim.
Keep the lines of communication open. A good personal injury attorney will always be willing to talk with you personally about your claim. If you keep the lines of communication open and regularly update your attorney as you progress toward recovery, it will help to clarify your claim and maximize your claim.
Who to call. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having been injured in a motor vehicle accident as a result of the fault of another, the attorneys at Pickrel, Schaeffer & Ebeling are here to help. Contact us at www.pselaw.com or 937.223.1130 and ask to speak with L. Michael Bly, Chair of the Firm’s personal injury team.
