What Is the Process for Filing a Personal Injury Claim in CT?

You may be thinking about filing a personal injury claim for a variety of different reasons. For example, you may have been in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, an accident on someone else’s property, or any other type of accident that resulted in injuries and other losses.

No matter what your reason is for filing a personal injury claim, there are several steps that your claim will likely go through before you can receive compensation for your damages. Here are the eight steps of the personal injury claim process:

1.     Reporting your injury

The first step in filing a personal injury claim is to report your accident. This means that you should file a workplace accident report with your job, report your motor vehicle accident with the proper law enforcement agency, or let the business or homeowner know if you were hurt on their premises. If police officers and emergency medical technicians arrive at the scene of your accident, they will make an official accident report for you, which is called a police report. You can obtain a copy of your police report either online or in person.

2.     Seeking medical treatment and going to all necessary appointments

Next, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. You may think that you are not hurt badly enough to visit a hospital, clinic, or doctor’s office, but you could actually have severe injuries from the accident that you cannot see. In fact, it can take days or weeks for most of your injuries to appear after an accident. The doctor will ask you about your symptoms, look over your body, and run tests. Then, they will document everything that they find and develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs. You can request copies of your medical records and reports to support your personal injury claim.

3.     Consulting with Manchester injury attorneys and hiring the perfect match for your case

You are not legally required to have an attorney for your personal injury claim. However, having a legal professional by your side who knows and understands how these cases work may be beneficial to you. While you focus on healing and recovering, your personal injury lawyer will be behind the scenes, working on your case and standing up against the negligent parties. At Barry, Taylor & Levesque, we happily offer free consultations to learn about your experience, provide legal advice, and help you decide if we are a good match.

4.     Investigating your accident

Once you hire an attorney, they will start investigating your accident. It is critical that an attorney conduct their own investigation because they may be able to uncover new or hidden information that other people did not see or locate. When our team investigates an accident, we are looking for any information or evidence that shows why the accident occurred, how it happened, who is liable, and how much compensation you should receive for your losses.

5.     Sending a letter demanding compensation for your damages

Many people believe that the only way they can get justice for their accident is by filing a lawsuit. However, sometimes, you can enter into an informal settlement negotiation process with the at-fault party to resolve the matter. Your lawyer can begin this process by sending a letter to the defendant’s legal team or insurance company. This letter is referred to as a demand letter and simply lets them know what type of accident occurred, what type of injuries you suffered in the accident, the laws that apply, and how much compensation you are entitled to. After the letter is sent, you should wait for a response, which will likely be a low settlement offer compared to what you deserve.

6.     Looking at settlement offers and negotiating

You and your attorney will look at the settlement offers provided by the defendant and begin negotiating. During this part of the process, you will decide whether you believe the compensation amount offered is fair and accurate for your injuries, medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage, and more. If you do not think that the settlement offer is fair for everything you have been through, you can easily let your attorney know that you wish to reject the offer. If you are unsure about a settlement offer, your attorney can provide advice and explain whether you should accept it or not.

7.     Filing a lawsuit

If you or your lawyer believe that the settlement negotiation process is going nowhere, it may be in your best interest to file a lawsuit. This means that you are planning to take your case to trial. Your attorney will file the lawsuit on your behalf. Once this official document is created and filed, a marshal will serve the defendant, notifying them that they are being sued for the accident. Sometimes, an attorney will file a lawsuit to speed up the settlement negotiation process, as it shows that you are unwilling to take the defendant’s low-ball offers. After filing a lawsuit, you may quickly receive higher settlement offers.

8.     Preparing for and attending trial

The defendant’s insurance company or legal team may continue to refuse to cooperate and provide a fair settlement offer. When this happens, you and your personal injury attorney will begin preparing for trial. At this stage of the process, you may feel anxious or nervous, but your attorney will make sure you know how to dress, how to speak, what to say, what not to say, and more.

On the day of your court trial, the judge or jury will listen to your and the defendant’s side of the story, look at and analyze the evidence, and take into account any statements or testimonies provided by witnesses. After evaluating the facts and circumstances of the case, the judge or jury will make a decision about who is responsible for the accident and how much money should be paid for damages.

If you or a loved one suffers injuries due to an accident in Manchester, CT, the personal injury lawyers at Barry, Taylor & Levesque are here to help. Personal injury claims can be very challenging and complex. Therefore, it is never recommended to handle these types of cases on your own. Instead, call our office or submit our contact form to schedule your free case review with one of our attorneys today. Our team serves clients in Manchester and Hartford, CT and will gladly help you navigate each step of the personal injury process and fight for your right to the compensation you need to get your life back on track again.