It’s an unfortunate truth that every one of us is at constant risk for a personal injury. Injuries are commonplace and can be caused by falls, malfunctions, car accidents, sports, or any number of other events. Injuries are always stressful and traumatic, and they can even leave us incapacitated. They can cause people to miss school, work, and other important events, not to mention the medical bills they can leave the sufferer stuck with. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence or fault of another party, you’ll understandably want compensation both for the medical expenses and for other losses suffered.

Injuries can become even more sensitive and complicated when a child is involved. Children are more susceptible to injuries both because they are smaller and more fragile than adults and because they lack the experience to recognize and deal with dangerous situations. For these cases, you’ll definitely want to find a personal injury attorney for children, but there are some generally good pieces of advice to follow after any personal injury. Since every case is different, there’s no reliable way to calculate how much you’re likely to receive out of a settlement, but these tips can give you the best chance at a successful outcome.

Get Proper Medical Attention

This step should pose no problem for a painful or serious injury, as you’ll naturally want medical attention, but you should go ahead and seek treatment even after accidents you don’t think are serious. It’s always a good idea to double-check, and this is the best course to ensure a good recovery. There are also some injuries that can show delayed symptoms (especially true of brain injuries), and seeking immediate medical attention can catch them ASAP.

Seeking treatment as soon as you can is also good for your case. For starters, this gives you the best chance of proving that all your injuries were direct results of the accident instead of some other cause. The longer you wait, the more doubt the defendant can cast over this. Immediate treatment also gives you a jump on your medical documentation, and these records are vital to your case. Your medical records officially document your injuries as well as all recommended treatment and progress. It’s important to keep up with all recommendations and follow up appointments since having medical record gaps can be devastating to your case.

Collect Evidence

You’ll want to have an attorney on your side to improve your odds of a settlement, and there are several things you can collect before your consultation. Most injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, so there’s virtually no risk in hiring one, at least for you. An attorney, however, is likely sacrificing a great deal of their time when taking on a case, so they’ll need to feel there’s a good chance of winning it before they’ll commit.

Collecting any evidence you can about the accident in advance is a good start. In a perfect scenario, there would be video or photographic evidence of the event itself. Even without this, it’s still worthwhile to return to the scene afterward and record the area and any landmarks, signs, markings, or anything else that may add context to the situation.

You’ll also want to bring all relevant documents including medical records, police/witness reports, and contact information for your doctor. You might even consider using free background checks on Golookup to see if the responsible party has a previous record relevant to your case. If they’ve been convicted of negligent or dangerous behavior in the past, your attorney can likely work with the information. All of this can go a long way towards demonstrating that you’re serious about the case and willing to cooperate.

Keep In Contact

Don’t assume your work is over once a lawyer accepts your case. You’ll need to keep your doctor updated about any new developments as well as the pace of your recovery, as this can affect your settlement. You’ll also need to let your attorney know if anyone tries to contact you about the case or if there are other complications. Effective communication lets your lawyer do their best possible job for you.