Immediate Steps to Take If You Think
You Have a Personal Injury Case

There are several steps you can take to increase your chances of recovery, and increase your potential overall recovery, in a personal injury case, even before you meet with an attorney. Don’t forget that many personal injury cases are time-sensitive due to statutes of limitations and must be handled in a timely manner. Such steps include:

• Writing down as much as you can about the accident or injury itself, your injuries and any other losses (such as wages) you've suffered as a result of the accident.
• Making notes of conversations that you have with people involved in the accident or the injury claim.
• Preserving evidence of who caused the accident and what damage was done by collecting physical evidence and taking photographs.
• Locating people who witnessed the accident and who might be able to help you prove your case.
• Notifying anyone you think might be responsible for your injuries of your intention to file a claim for your injuries, especially if a government agency or employee may be involved.

The events that unfold in the first few hours and days after the incident can dramatically shape the entire course of a personal injury claim. An attorney can advise you on a variety of steps you can take to protect your rights.

A good attorney will probably instruct you to preserve evidence, for example. He/She will tell you to obtain photographs of the accident scene, the vehicles or machinery involved and any visible injuries you may have. The lawyer will interview witnesses before memories get fuzzy. The attorney will consider hiring experts to clear up any questions about the cause or extent of your injuries. If the other side claims they're not at fault, they will consider hiring an expert to "reconstruct" the accident based upon the physical evidence.

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