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What To Do If You're Injured

1. GET TREATMENT FOR YOUR INJURY RIGHT AWAY.

This is the single most important thing you can do after an accident.  If you are injured, you should seek medical attention immediately. If you think you might be injured, you should get checked out in an emergency room.  Oftentimes, the adrenalin of a crash or other accident can mask the pain of the injury, so it is not until the next day that you wake up feeling stiff and sore.  Immediate treatment is important because if you pursue a personal injury case, the insurance company may try to argue at trial that your injuries weren’t serious because you didn’t go to the emergency room after the accident or waited a few days to see a doctor. Remember, the injured person has the burden of proof in Virginia, meaning that you must prove your injuries in a personal injury accident.  Medical Records act as that proof at trial. A history of immediate medical treatment will help you carry your burden of proof.

2. TAKE PHOTOS AT THE SCENE.

This may sound obvious, but after experiencing an accident and potentially being injured, most people don’t have the presence of mind to take photos.  And contrary to what you might think, many times Virginia State Police don’t get photographs either. Luckily, with the prevalence of mobile devices, taking photos at the scene is easier than ever. If it was an auto accident, snap some photos of the damage to your car,  the position of your car relative to any other cars involved, and the damage to other cars or structures.  Also, be sure to get some photos of the ground around the accident—it may be that there are skid marks or brake marks on the pavement.  This will go a long way to helping you or your lawyer present your case to a judge or jury. As you well know, a picture says a thousand words. 
 

3. GET WITNESS INFORMATION AT THE SCENE.

Accident witnesses have a way of disappearing.  This is understandable. Most witnesses feel a “call to action” at the scene and want to do the right thing, but after the flurry of activity is over, life goes on and their motivation to participate in a lawsuit drops.  This makes finding witnesses more difficult as time passes. After the accident, look around for witnesses. Ask them if they saw the accident happen. Get their information at the scene. If you are injured in an auto accident but your passenger is okay, tell your passenger to go talk to witnesses and get information. Eyewitness testimony can be the difference between receiving compensation and ending up empty-handed.

4. TAKE PHOTOS OF YOUR INJURIES AS YOU RECOVER.

It is important to document your progress.  Pictures do this best because pictures don’t lie.  An insurance company can argue that you are exaggerating the length of time it took you to recover from an injury, but if you have a photograph of you in a wheelchair or in physical therapy, that argument will become very hard to make.

5. FOLLOW UP WITH MEDICAL CARE.

An injured person should continue to seek medical care until all the symptoms of the injury are gone.  Why? Just like above, a good insurance defense lawyer will argue that if you were still hurting one month after the accident, you would have followed up with her doctor. This is a successful defense. Do not fall victim to it. If your doctor orders physical therapy, go to physical therapy every time. No excuses. If you are still hurting one month after a car crash, follow up with your doctor. A defense lawyer will jump all over an injured client who does not follow up on treatment.

6. FIND AN ATTORNEY.

Coming from a person injury attorney, I know you will take this advice with a grain of salt, but choosing an attorney is important.  There are many factors to weigh: experience, ability, convenience, personal attention, and knowledge. There are a lot of personal injury law firms out there, make sure you chose one that checks all the boxes. Use this guide to help you choose a qualified personal injury attorney and as always, feel free to contact me with any questions and our firm will do everything we can to help.

Richard Cuthbert, Cuthbert Law Offices

Millions Recovered on Behalf of Our Clients Notable Verdicts & Settlements
  • $42,000,000 Logging Accident Settlement

    Settlement reached after a log chipper exploded deep in the woods in Greensville County, hurting three and killing one. Each of the four suffered horrific burn injuries. Ours was one of four law firms that banded together to obtain this remarkable composite result.

  • $6,500,000 Taser Settlement

    This was another horrific burn injury case. Our client, a man soaked in gasoline, ignited when a police officer shot him with a Taser. Four law firms, included ours, pooled expertise to obtain this settlement for the man who had been so badly burned.

  • $5,000,000 Medical Malpractice Verdict

    This Medical Malpractice lawsuit involved a Chesterfield County man who was left incapacitated by a stroke. The stroke was the result of medication prescribed by his doctor to address symptoms of a cold. The medication was called Phenergan VC with codeine. This is believed to be the largest medical malpractice verdict ever returned by a Chesterfield County jury.

  • $2,900,000 Settlement Following Head-on High-Speed Collision

    We brought this lawsuit on behalf of a high school teacher who was badly hurt when an overly zealous off-duty policeman, responding as a volunteer to an emergency call, crossed over the yellow line and hit the teacher’s car head-on.

  • $2,000,000 Wrongful Death Verdict

    This jury verdict of over $2 million dollars is believed to be the largest wrongful death, medical malpractice verdict ever returned by a Petersburg jury. A teacher who taught elementary school in Prince George County died at Southside Regional Medical Center because an emergency physician failed to diagnose a flesh-eating bacterial infection.

  • $1,880,385 Wrongful Death Verdict

    Jury verdict for the mother of an 18-year-old girl ejected from a speeding car that struck the brick wall of Blandford Cemetery while northbound at a curve on South Crater Road in Petersburg.

Our Values What Our Work Means
  • Helping the Injured Since 1977
  • Personalized Approach to Each Case
  • Work Directly With Your Attorney
  • A Boutique Firm Specializing in Personal Injury
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