Driving throughout adulthood means you most likely will be in at least one vehicular accident. Michigan has nearly 9 million registered vehicles owned by people who drive an average of 15,000 miles a year, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. Factor in poor road conditions and the potential for winter weather making them even more treacherous, and you have an even greater likelihood of being in an accident that that causes injuries.
Retaining a car accident attorney in Michigan always helps to hold liable parties accountable and to get fair settlements from insurers. Unfortunately, many people make some common mistakes that could cost them when it comes time to settle insurance claims or when trying to hold liable parties accountable. If you recently were injured in an accident or are injured in the future, here are some tips on how to help your attorney build a strong case.
Get Medical Treatment as Soon as Possible
The sooner that you get medical treatment following any kind of car accident, the easier it will be to show the accident caused your injuries. If you are seriously injured, you should call for an ambulance to take you to the emergency room. The diagnosis and treatment will fully confirm the accident most likely caused your injuries. Even if you suspect you suffered an injury, you should go to the emergency room for diagnosis and treatment.
Don’t Skip Your Medical Appointments
It’s also important to obtain follow-up treatment to fully diagnose your condition. Some injuries are masked and could take several hours or days to fully appear. A head injury might get worse overnight or a whiplash injury to your neck might take several days to fully manifest itself. The same is true of back injuries and soft tissue injuries, which often are masked by the initial shock to the body. Continued medical care until you are fully diagnosed, treated, and healed from your accident can identify the full extent of your injuries.
Document Your Healing
You can help your case by taking photos of any swelling, bruising, or redness caused by the accident to show your progress from day to day. You also should write a short journal entry every day that describes how you feel, including the amount of pain and suffering that you are experiencing. Your journal entry should include any problems sleeping, dizziness, or other conditions that affect your body. The journal also should describe how the injuries are affecting your ability to go about your normal daily routine so that your attorney can use that as evidence of pain and suffering due to the accident.
The prior tips can help you to help your attorney when it comes to building a strong case and filing strongly supported insurance claims that help you obtain the best possible settlement.