Injury Lawyers helping clients throughout Florida
Things Which You Should NOT DO:
- Do not give any statements, written, recorded, or oral, to anyone concerning your accident or injuries without first getting our approval.
- Do not make any incorrect statement to any doctor who may treat or examine you respecting any prior injuries or accidents, if you don't remember, say so.
- Do not change your address or employment without notifying your attorney.
Things for you to REMEMBER:
- Address and Phone: Inform your attorney immediately of any change of address and/or telephone number or employment.
- Car Repair: If your vehicle was damaged, try to obtain pictures before you get it repaired. Use color film and take a whole roll of pictures. Bring the film to us and we will have it developed. If you do not have a camera, please call and we will make arrangements to take the pictures.
- Medical Items: Save all pill bottles, casts, braces, and any other items from your doctors.
- Photographs: Give us any pictures and videos of the accident or accident scene that you or anyone else has taken for you.
- Your job: Tell us of any changes in your job, job duties, salary or anything.
- Receipts: Be sure to obtain and save all receipts itemizing any and all expenses you incurred as a result of your accident. Receipts must be dated and contain legible and complete vendor identification.
New information: Inform us of anything you think has a bearing on the case, including extensive medical treatment or hospitalization.
Five BIG MISTAKES clients make:
- Not seeing the doctor if you are in pain.
- Not doing what your doctor tells you.
- Not keeping your doctor appointments.
- Discussing your case with anyone other than your attorney or your doctor.
- Failing to tell your doctor about medical problems due to the accident.
Follow Your Doctor’s Advice
Be sure to do what your doctors tell you. There is never a reason or excuse to miss a doctor's appointment. By missing a doctor's appointment, you are saying to the doctor and to the insurance company that you don't hurt and that it doesn't matter that much. Our job is to make a recovery for you for the pain and suffering that can be proven. Not going to the doctor is a good way to prove that you are not hurting and that you don't care. If you don't care, the doctor may not care. It is very important for you to work hard to get well and to go to all of your appointments.
If you are in pain and you do not see a doctor, the insurance company and the jury will not believe that you are having pain.
Each time you go to the doctor and report that you are still having pain, your doctor makes an entry in his records. It is important for your doctor to have up-to-date information on your condition. Some clients get discouraged and do not see their doctor even though they are having pain. This may harm your claim. It is important that your doctor knows how you are feeling.
First Steps In Representing You
When you are first interviewed, general information regarding your case is obtained. Materials relating to things you should or should not do will be furnished to you. You will be requested to sign certain authorization forms which will allow us to obtain your medical records and other necessary information.
We will notify the person who was responsible for your injury and/or their insurance company that you have retained us as your attorneys. Requests will be sent to all of the doctors and hospitals involved in your care for your chart and billing information.
Who To Talk To
Do not talk about your case with anyone except this office and your doctors. If your own insurance company wants to talk about your case before they pay your medical bills, please refer them to us.
What To Sign
Any necessary information from employers, schools, or other persons will be obtained by us. You should not sign anything for anyone else until you check with us first.
What is the Value of My Case?
It is impossible for us to tell immediately how much money, if any, you will recover in connection with your case. There is no formula and each case is unique and different. In cases of serious injury, the ultimate recovery is often related to the amount of insurance coverage available, as well as the nature, extent, and duration of your injuries, along with an assessment of liability. As your attorneys, we feel it is our primary duty to obtain an amount of money which will fairly and justly compensate you for your injuries. We will make every effort to do this by locating all sources of money. We will advise you of our evaluation in this regard.
In general, most states allow recovery of damages for the following elements of damage:
- The nature and extent of injury, including whether the injury is permanent, and the amount of disability.
- Medical expenses, both past and reasonably certain to be incurred in the future. This includes mileage to and from the doctor or hospital.
- Wage loss, past and future and loss of capacity to earn a living.
- Pain and suffering, including your motor vehicle and other items of personal property.
Loss of consortium for your spouse, past and future.
Uninsured/Underinsured Driver
If you were hit by an uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist, you may be eligible for benefits under your own policy or the policy that covered the vehicle you were in. Many insurance companies have special provisions if you desire to proceed against the uninsured motorist provision of the policy. In most cases, you will be able to collect for your lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, etc., in the same way as if the driver that hit you did have insurance. We ask that you provide us with a complete copy of your own insurance policy in force at the time of the accident.
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