Illinois Lawyer Referrals and Legal Guidance
First Steps to Take If You Are Injured In An Accident
Findgreatlawyers.com is a free service, founded by Illinois injury lawyers, to find an attorney or obtain guidance for any Illinois legal matter, including Illinois injury claims cases. Since 2001 we have helped thousand of people who have been hurt on the job or in personal injury accidents. Our service is free and we will help you find the right lawyer for your case. No attorney we recommend charges a fee unless they make a recovery for you. If you would like a referral or some guidance please call us at (312) 346-5320 or (800) 517-1614 or fill out our contact us form and we will contact you. All inquiries are kept in strict confidence.
When you are injured, whether it is from someone else's negligence or not, the first thing you should do is seek medical treatment. When you get hurt their can be many different emotions including anger, sadness, frustration and even excitement. Some people who are angry or excited think that they should seek a lawyer right away. While it may make sense to call an attorney soon after an accident, there is nothing more important in your life than your health. So if you are injured, please immediately seek medical treatment.
Aside from your health, if you want to pursue a personal injury lawsuit for someone else's negligence, it is also important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible and if necessary follow up with medical care. For example, if you are in a car accident, and refuse medical attention right away, but wake up the next day in pain, you should go to a doctor. The longer you wait, the harder it is to prove that any injuries you have are related to the accident. We encourage people to listen to what there body is telling them and what their doctor is telling them. Don't get treatment to help a lawsuit, rather get treatment for your health.
Once you have an idea what your medical condition is, you can think about calling an Illinois personal injury attorney. Even if you don't, there are steps you could take that would be useful if a lawsuit happens down the road. These include:
- Take photographs of any bruising, cuts or other injuries while they are still visible. Photos can help explain the extent of an injury and could help an insurance adjuster or jury understand how painful and serious the injury was.
- For the same reason, if you are given and medical devices to help you recover such as casts, braces, splints, etc. take photos.
- Do not give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster. No matter what they tell you, giving such a statement can only hurt your case, not help it.
- Follow your doctor's instructions. Aside from the importance to your health, you don't want to find yourself before a jury one day having the attorney for the insurance company arguing that you made your injuries worse by not being complying with what your doctor told you to do.
- Start a journal of everything that happened at the accident and keep the journal as your medical treatment progresses. If you do go to trial it will not likely be for a few years. Keeping a journal is a credible way to refresh your recollection years down the road.
If you would like to find an attorney that can answer questions about a back injury that took place on the job or from someone else's negligence or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.