Georgia Injury Blog

What should you do if you have just been injured?

Here are some things to keep in mind following an accident.

When a personal injury, medical malpractice occurrence, or accident takes place, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Do not wait and put it off until a later time; act immediately. If you are in a vehicle accident and have been injured, do not refuse medical assistance. The longer you wait to receive treatment, the greater the opportunity for questioning the legitimacy of your injury. Understandably, there may be times where the symptoms of your injury may not surface until after the accident takes place. In these cases, seek treatment as soon as you can. If you were in a traffic accident, a police officer should provide you with an accident report. If you were at your place of work, a work injury incident report should be filed with your employer. Similarly, if you are in a public facility, store, or grounds and are injured, you should notify a management figure and have an official report documented with a copy made for yourself. Be sure to record the names of those at the store who you reported the accident to.

If you are harmed on a public premises and a store or business doesn't offer you medical assistance, you can call an ambulance yourself, or solicit someone to call one for you. Getting witness information is very important. Gather the contact information from anyone who saw what took place, or witnessed the accident. This information can prove valuable to an attorney who may need to use it later on your behalf. Taking pictures on your phone can also be very helpful. If police were involved, you should obtain a copy of the investigative report.

After you have taken care of yourself and addressed any medical needs, you can then contact an attorney. Do not speak to the negligent or at fault party's insurance company. If they contact you to provide them with a statement or recorded statement, do not provide one. In doing so, they can attempt to trap you into saying something that can later be used against you to disprove your injuries or expenses. Do not provide them with an authorization for release of your medical records, if requested. This can also be used against you. Keep documents of injuries and accident reports, pictures, correspondence and keep track of your expenses and receipts related to your injuries. In addition, keep track of lost work hours from being out of work. Speak to your lawyer and let him or her handle the insurance carrier who covers the at fault party. Let your lawyer handle their questions or concerns.

Lastly, there is a Statute of Limitations time limit on claims for personal injury in the state of Georgia. You have two years in which to file a claim, so you don't want to exceed this limit because your ability to file will be lost. It may be as little as six months if the claim has to do with city, state or county government in Georgia. It is always wise to obtain legal assistance as soon after an accident as possible.

Eight important things to remember if you have been injured:

1. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
2. Don't refuse treatment if you exhibit symptoms of an injury which could turn into a serious situation.
3. Have a report made and documented if you are at a public facility; an accident report if in a traffic accident; an injury report if at work.
4. Take pictures of the scene, if possible, along with photos of your injuries for evidence which your lawyer can use.
5. Get witness information such as names, phone numbers, and the email addresses of those who witnessed the accident.
6. Contact a trusted attorney and do not speak to at fault party's insurance company.
7. Keep track of all expenses and and receipts related to your injuries.
8. Do not wait to file a claim. Your statute of limitations will expire after two years.