Personal injury claim TIPS

Do's

  • Gather any witness information

  • Obtain the other party's information

  • Take pictures of the vehicle / place of injury

  • Notify your insurance company if applicable

  • Obtain a copy of the police report if applicable

  • If you are able to, remove your car from storage

  • Write a complete description as soon as possible

  • Keep all receipts: ie prescriptions, co-payments, deductible

  • Find out what reports you need to fill out from local authorities

  • Take pictures of any visible injuries: cuts, bruises, burns, abrasions

  • Be wary of claims adjusters that are interested in sending you a check to settle quickly

  • Have copies of hospital discharge paperwork available

  • Contact the police immediately if immediate danger exists or you are involved in a traffic accident

  • Complete an Online Injury Lawyers submission form to have injury lawyers in your area compete for your case

Don'ts

  • Admit fault

  • Give a signed or recorded statement to insurance adjusters

  • Leave the scene if know you are injured and haven't reported it yet

  • Allow the scene to be altered before proper evidence gathering has taken place

  • Discuss the injury with anyone but your medical provider, lawyer and police

  • Accept settlement of your claim until you are sure you have found out how much you should receive

  • Forget to submit your case to the Online Injury Lawyers for lawyers in your area to compete for your case


  1. Speak with an attorney as soon as possible to make sure you are taking the proper steps to establish your case.

  2. Don’t speak with the insurance company of the at-fault party. They may ask you to agree to a recorded statement - that is likely not in your best interest!

  3. Don’t agree to a settlement amount right away - the insurance provider of the at-fault party may try to get you to accept an amount of money you feel is sufficient but may be less they what you could actually receive based on the strength of your case.

  4. Seek medical attention right away if you have any pain at all, it is important to not wait as that could lessen the strength of your claim.

  5. Document your loss of earnings from missed work so that you may request reimbursement. Also document all property damage repairs.

  6. Keep your police report (if you have one), all medical and insurance records in one place to create a file that you may provide your attorney to review all relevant documents.

  7. In most cases insurance companies value the case according to what the medical bills are. This does not include x-rays, MRI's, or any other diagnostic services.

  8. An amount of pain and suffering is derived from your actual damages (medical bills + lost wages) and then multiplied by a factor of somewhere between 1 - 5, depending on the severity of your injury and if there is an injury permanency.

  9. Each state has a statute of limitations for injury claims. They are usually between 2-4 years. If you think you have a viable injury claim but the statute of limitations date has passed, you may have blown your opportunity to collect for damages.

  10. Insurance companies usually prefer to settle out of court rather then go to trial. Because of this, if you hire the right online injury lawyer, you optimize your ability to receive the most beneficial reward in the least amount of time.