Suffering from any serious injury can be traumatic. Getting an injury that results in amputation of any of your limbs can be completely devastating. People who suffer from amputation injuries go through changes that they will have to live with throughout their lives, impacting everything about what they know. From challenges in doing many of the most basic activities you do to being completely unable to perform many basic tasks, amputation injuries can change your life for the worse in ways you cannot imagine.
One of the life-altering impacts of suffering amputation injuries is the financial losses. Seeking compensation to cover the expenses related to your injury should not be something you have to struggle with. And you do not have to add those challenges to your list of struggles. Working with licensed Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyers for your amputation injury claim can help make life a little less challenging for you.
Amputation injuries fall under the category of serious injuries in Florida, as they should. The rules surrounding severe injuries can be complex for you to navigate without the help of a legal expert. It is crucial to get in touch with lawyers who care about helping you recover from the financial impact of your amputation injury and make the most of what life has to offer under the changed circumstances.
Today, we will discuss how you can pursue compensation to cover the damages you have suffered due to your injuries and how you can maximize the value of your personal injury claim.
What Should I Do After Suffering An Amputation Injury?
The mental trauma resulting from the amputation injury is immense. Many victims of such injuries are often in such a state of shock that they do not understand how they should respond and what they should do. If you or someone you know suffered an amputation injury, you need to take measures to get the most value from your claim, including:
Report The Injury Incident
Whatever the cause of the injury, whether it was a car crash, medical malpractice, workplace accident, or any incident caused by another person’s negligence, you must report the incident immediately to the authorities. Property owners must be informed if the accident was a slip and fall incident, police should be informed if it was a car accident, and the HR department should be informed if it was a workplace incident.
Filing a report to the relevant authorities and obtaining a copy of the report will be critical to making a strong claim because it is an official record of the details of the accident that caused your injuries. Consider getting a lawyer involved because it might not be simple to obtain a copy of the official report, and they know how to source it for you.
Make Sure You Follow Through With All Your Appointments
Amputation injuries might require you to visit relevant doctors for several follow-up appointments as part of the recovery process and ensure that your condition does not get worse. Failing to make it to all the appointments recommended by your doctors can give the insurance company a reason to devalue or even deny your claim, stating that your injuries could have improved if you had made it to all your appointments.
If your doctor recommends any physiotherapy, rehabilitative services, emotional therapy, and other medical appointments, you must attend all of them. Doing this is crucial to making a stronger claim with your insurance company. Additionally, it could also help you improve your condition and help you adjust to your life with the changes that come with such an injury.
Collect And Preserve Proof Of Your Injuries
Amputation injuries are glaringly obvious in their aftermath that you don’t have to prove they happened. However, you should make it a point to document your injuries right after the accident and as you recover. The images and videos of your injuries can serve as valuable evidence in making a strong claim with your insurance company.
You will also receive medical bills and reports related to your injury and the recovery process. Be sure to preserve all of the evidence because these documents are critical to ensuring that you can get full compensation to cover the cost of your medical care and recovery. Ideally, you should also maintain a journal that records your experiences after suffering the injury and throughout your recovery.
The journal should document the appointments you have attended, your experience of pain and suffering due to the accident that caused the injury, and any emotional or mental impacts because of it.
Wait To Make A Claim Until After Maximum Improvement
These injuries can drastically change your lifestyle, but many amputation injury victims can go on to adjust to their altered reality and live more independent and productive lives when they get the necessary medical and mental care.
You should place your faith in the possibility of living a fuller life than what you might initially think you can after such a traumatic change in your life, and you should wait to make the fullest possible recovery in your condition before you make your claim. Waiting to make the most improvement in your condition before you file a claim can help you pursue full compensation to become financially whole again.
Following through with all the recommended treatments and therapies before making a claim with your insurance company can help you get a clearer valuation of the costs of your recovery. Your insurance company might try to coerce you into accepting an early settlement offer. The amount might seem adequate at the time, but it might not reflect the total cost you can expect to bear for your recovery.
Wait for your doctor to declare that your injuries are fully stable and you have achieved the maximum possible medical improvement for your condition before filing a claim to increase your chances of getting fair compensation for your injuries.
Consider Working With Expert Personal Injury Lawyers
Seeking help from a legal professional to make your amputation injury claim when you are already dealing with a mountain of bills might not seem ideal. After all, who would want to add legal fees to the expenses they will already be contending with due to the loss of income, change in lifestyle, and the recovery costs.
However, working with a lawyer might be one of the best decisions you can make to recover the financial damages you have incurred because of the injury. Trustworthy Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyers actually care about helping you become financially whole again after such a traumatic injury and adjust to your life after the changes due to your new circumstances. They know how to help you make a strong claim with the insurance company to seek and win full compensation.
Personal injury lawyers experienced in dealing with cases like yours know how to deal with insurance companies. They can collect the evidence you need, handle the legal aspects of your case, and alleviate most of the stress regarding seeking compensation so you can focus entirely on your recovery.
Consider working with a lawyer to find legal representation for your claim. The firm charges only on a contingency fee basis, where you won’t have to worry about paying for their fees out-of-pocket. The lawyers will only get paid if they can help you win a settlement that adequately reflects the value of your claim.
