Many people just naturally consider filing a lawsuit when they've been injured due to negligence. Large lawsuits and awards of well-publicized cases makes it nearly impossible to ignore the tantalizing prospect of being vindicated in a court of law. You should understand, however, that taking cases to court takes a lot of time and the expenses involved can easily eat up a portion of those hoped-for winnings. Fortunately, there are some alternatives for getting fair compensation that don't actually involve going to court. Here is more about these two methods to get money damages outside of court.
Make a Demand
The at-fault party that caused your injuries may not have a full understanding of the seriousness of your injuries or the extent to which the accident has affected your life, unless you let them know. The demand letter is an important piece of correspondence that puts the other side on notice that you have been harmed and that you expect to be compensated for your harm. The demand letter implies that a lawsuit will soon follow if your demands are not met. Normally you will include the following in this letter:
- A summary of the accident and an allegation of fault.
- A list of physical evidence against the other driver, such as witnesses, photos, video footage, police or accident reports, and more.
- A dollar amount of your medical expenses, so far.
- The dollar amount of your lost wages, so far.
- The amount you are asking for at this time to settle the case out of court.
File a Complaint and a Claim
If you have been injured at a business, your injury is very likely covered by the business' liability insurance. Take the following steps:
- Make quick contact with the manager or owner of the business and make sure that an accident report is filled out.
- Get medical treatment and keep careful records of your expenses, including any missed time from work.
- Attempt to take photos of both the hazard that caused your accident and your resulting injuries.
- Make sure that you don't agree to give up your rights to later file suit by agreeing to be compensated by the insurance company. Insurance companies seldom pay for pain and suffering, which could be a considerable amount.
If you have been injured, you may not need to file a suit to get compensated. Speak to a personal injury attorney like Dunnigan & Messier P.C. as soon a possible and allow them to negotiate on your behalf to get the fair settlement that you need and deserve.
