How to Strengthen Your Personal Injury Claim

If you are in the middle of a personal injury claim you may have been offered an insurance settlement by the responsible party’s insurance company. If you and your personal injury attorney feel that your case is a strong one and warrants a larger settlement, you may be considering taking your claim to trial. While a lawsuit may result in more compensation than a settlement, it can take longer and is not without risk. 

If your case is borderline or weak, you could even receive less than an insurance settlement offer. A qualified personal injury attorney is in the best position to determine the strength of your case and a fair settlement offer. Even with a strong case, there are some things that you can do to strengthen your personal injury claim. 

Strengthen Your Burden of Proof in Personal Injury Claim

If your personal injury attorney feels that litigation is in your best interest, there are some things that you can do to strengthen your case, or at least not cause any harm. You should know that even when able to prove liability in a personal injury claim, your actions could significantly affect the amount of settlement you receive. Here are some tips to strengthen the proof in your case: 

1) Seek medical treatment right away – don’t delay in seeing a doctor, even if your injuries seem minor. A soft tissue injury may get worse over time, early visits to a doctor, ER or urgent care center will document your injury right after the incident. Be sure to continue with all recommended treatments and follow up appointments. 

2) Save all receipts and bills to support your claim – you must show proof of medical bills, prescriptions, hospital records, pay stubs and all related documents supporting your claim. Make sure you get a printed copy before you leave every hospital or doctor visit as these are mostly stored online. 

3) Don’t say too much following an accident – you may have been in shock following a car accident or any other type of injury. It’s best to not say too much or tell your side of the story at the scene, until you’ve had time to calm down or speak with a car accident attorney. Details could emerge that would help your case, but saying too much too soon can jeopardize your case. 

4) Don’t talk to the other party’s insurance company – If you are contacted by the other party’s insurance company, you should know that their job is to find a weakness in your claim to reduce the amount of a settlement or deny it altogether. Say as little as possible to any insurance adjuster that contacts you and be aware that anything you say can come back to hurt your case. 

5) Be careful what you post on social media – social media gets a lot of people in trouble for various reasons and public social media accounts can be a gold mine for insurance adjusters. Do not post any photos of activities that contradicts your claim such as playing sports or celebrating when you should be home recovering from your injuries. Images and posts can seriously damage the strength of your case. 

Follow these tips when in the middle of a personal injury claim and always work with an experienced personal injury lawyer. A capable attorney will be able to tell you what your case is worth and offer sound advice on what type of offer you should accept for fair compensation. 

Schiff & Associates has been recovering compensation for personal injury victims for more than 35 years. We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for members of our community with skilled negotiation and litigation. Contact us to find out what your case is worth and what you can do to strengthen your personal injury claim.

Proving a Personal Injury Claim in Ohio

If you’ve been injured in an accident that was due to negligence or carelessness of another party, you are entitled to compensation under the personal injury laws in your state. The extent of your injury, in addition to what you can prove in court, will factor into whether you should accept an insurance settlement or go to trial. 

Having proof of negligence is important to support your verbal claims of responsibility for an injury. Having proof is not always as easy as it sounds. Proving a personal injury claim in Ohio requires substantial evidence and sometimes credible expert testimony. The four main considerations when proving negligence include:

Duty – you must be able to prove that the responsible party had a duty to avoid causing harm to others and to act with reasonable caution. 

Breach – you need to be able to show that the responsible party failed to observe this duty through negligence or carelessness, or did not act how a reasonable person would act in the same situation.

Causation – the actions of the responsible party must be proven as the direct cause of your injury. You may not be able to recover compensation if your injuries were not due to a failure to act with reasonable caution. 

Damages – you’ll need to prove your claim for damages with evidence of the harmful effect of your injuries. Save all medical visit reports, medical bills and lost wage information. 

Additional factors include the statute of limitations in your state and any shared fault considerations. A personal injury lawsuit may result in more compensation that an insurance settlement offers but is not without risks. Be sure that you have the proof to back up a personal injury claim and learn how to strengthen your case. 

Get the Results You Deserve

Schiff & Associates is a personal injury law firm in Columbus, OH, known for quality legal representation in car accidents, personal injury and wrongful death cases. We offer a powerful legal team with combined specialized skills including investigators, paralegals, legal assistants and a CPA. 

We provide the results you can count on in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Schiff & Associates helps to evaluate your claim and all supporting evidence, maintaining an open line of communication with you while we fight for your rights. 

Schiff & Associates has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for the people of our community. You can have confidence in your 35+ years of fighting for the results you deserve. Contact us today to speak with a top rated personal injury attorney in OH.

Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you have been injured due to the carelessness of another person or entity, you have a right to file a personal injury claim in the state where the accident occurred. While a lawsuit can never make a person healthy or bring back a life, financial recovery for medical bills and loss of wages can help you recover physically and mentally. You are also entitled to non-economic damages such as pain and suffering and future consequences of your injury. 

A personal injury may occur due to the fault of another for many reasons such as:

• Car accidents including truck and motorcycle crashes

• Bicycle and pedestrian accidents

• Slip and fall cases caused by dangerous conditions

• Animal attacks and dog bites

• Defective consumer products which cause injury

• Medical malpractice of doctors and hospitals

• Nursing home abuse and neglect

This is just a short list of the many examples of potential injury that could occur through no fault of your own. If you have been injured, you owe it to yourself and loved ones to seek full compensation for damages. Be sure to speak with a personal injury lawyer or car accident attorney in your state to learn your rights and what a fair settlement looks like. 

Many factors come into play to determine whether or not your claim should go to trial. An experienced personal injury lawyer in your state will help to evaluate your claim, all damages and any insurance settlement offer. Never accept an insurance settlement claim without first speaking to a personal injury attorney. 

Personal Injury Lawyer in Ohio

Schiff & Associates has been a trusted personal injury law firm in Ohio for over 35 years. We are skilled in all areas of personal injury including car accidents, workplace accidents, soft tissue damage, catastrophic injury and wrongful death. We prepare each case as if it’s going to trial to fight for the compensation you deserve. 

Don’t go it alone when dealing with a personal injury, never accept a low ball offer from an insurance company without first speaking to a trusted, personal injury lawyer. Schiff & Associates is a personal injury law firm with a team of professionals and specialists to fight on your behalf. 

Schiff & Associates provides a team of investigators and skilled negotiators to get you the settlement you deserve. When trial is needed we are prepared to fight for your total financial recovery. Contact us to speak with a personal injury lawyer to get the maximum settlement allowed under the law.

When to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Ohio

When you’re injured in an accident that was due to the negligence of another person or business, you are entitled to financial compensation. A personal injury claim is an attempt to make yourself whole, to the state prior to the accident. This includes financially, mentally and physically. Personal injury law provides a means for you to recover losses when hurt in an event or accident that was no fault of your own. 

Your personal injury case will have unique factors surrounding the incident and may have caused severe financial hardship in terms of medical expenses and lost employment. You may also have experienced emotional trauma, pain and suffering that would fall under non-economic damages. Before you speak with an insurance company of the at fault party, it’s best to speak with a personal injury attorney in your state. 

Personal Injury Law in Ohio

A personal injury attorney will help you to recover the financial compensation due to you, to help you recover financially so you can focus on physical and mental recovery. They will explain your options regarding accepting an insurance settlement or taking your case to trial. Each state has varied key laws pertaining to personal injury such as:

• Statute of limitations governing the time you have to file from the time of the incident

• Shared fault rules depending on whether or not you were partially at fault

• Limitations on monetary damages

Personal injury can occur from car accidents, pedestrian accidents and any number of neglect or malpractice situations. Claims range from soft tissue damage to catastrophic injury and wrongful death. It’s important to seek professional legal advice rather than go it alone with any personal injury, especially a debilitating injury that will affect you for many years or a lifetime.

Accept an Insurance Offer or Go to Trial? 

An experienced attorney will look at all factors of your case and help to determine the fairness of an insurance offer. Many factors contribute to whether or not your claim should go to trial, such as:

• Monetary damages

• Insurance settlement offer

• Proof of personal injury liability

• Outside factors that may help or hurt your case

Your personal injury attorney will help to evaluate all monetary damages including non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. They’ll help to evaluate the fairness of an insurance offer and the strength of a case if litigation is necessary. 

Schiff & Associates: Trusted Personal Injury Lawyers

When searching for a personal injury lawyer in Ohio, contact Schiff & Associates for experienced and trusted legal representation since 1982. Schiff & Associates has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for the people of our community over the last 35 years. We recognize that your financial recovery from any accident is just as important as your physical recovery. 

At Schiff & Associates, we prepare each case as if it would go to trial, which allows us to fight for a fair insurance settlement. If a trial is necessary, we are prepared for litigation where we have experienced great success. Contact us for more information and to find out what your case is really worth.

How to Get the Most from Your Car Accident Settlement

Being the victim of a car accident that was not your fault is a traumatic experience, with damages ranging from mild to severe. If you or a loved one were injured in an auto accident due to the negligence of another there are a few things that you should do to maximize your compensation for your claim. If you are left to deal with a lifetime of pain from any type of injury, whether it be back pain or debilitating headaches, you deserve compensation to the fullest extent of the law. 

In wrongful death cases, while nothing can bring back your loved one, a financial recovery allows you to focus on what really matters, physical and mental recovery. If you’ve been the victim of a car accident, please follow these tips to maximize your settlement. 

1) Document All Details from the Accident

Document as much as you can about the accident while it is still fresh in your mind. You should always write down the name of the other driver, the make and model of their car, license plate number and get their auto insurance information. 

Even if you don’t think you incurred an injury you should obtain a police report and get checked out medically. A police report may be the best line of defense in case you need ongoing medical care or your case goes to trial. 

2) Seek Medical Care Immediately

Do not wait to seek medical attention, even if you think you may just have a sprain, a strain, a sore neck or some bruising that you think will clear up quickly. Seek medical attention immediately as injuries from a car accident may not appear right away due to the adrenaline increase at the time of accident and the way that soft tissue injuries may worsen over time. Be sure to obtain and keep all of your medical records from each visit. 

3) Follow Doctor’s Orders

Be sure to follow the advice of your physicians if they tell you to rest or attend physical therapy or rehabilitation appointments. Taking care of yourself is important and following the advice of your physicians only strengthens your case by proving your due diligence to recover from your injuries. 

4) Document All Missed Work and Earning Losses

Keep track of all missed work for every doctor appointment or hospitalizations. If the accident caused you to miss out on overtime, promotions or additional earning potential be sure to document any future earning losses as well. 

5) Be Honest About Personal and Emotional Trauma

Seek counseling for any emotional trauma or for dealing with grief and loss. Victims of car accidents that deal with chronic pain often feel depressed due to living in a constant state of pain. Seek help from a therapist with experience in treating patients of chronic pain if you are experiencing constant pain or depression. 

6) Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company of the At Fault Driver

Do not have any conversations with the insurance company of the at-fault driver until you speak with a car accident lawyer who has your best interest at heart. The other party’s insurance carrier has one goal, to minimize their claim. They may record your conversation and try to use it against you at a later time to reduce your claim. 

7) Hire a Car Accident Attorney

Hire a car accident attorney with experience in personal injury and automobile accidents. Your personal injury lawyer will give you the best advice in how to maximize any settlement from an auto injury claim. 

We hope that you never have to experience pain and suffering from an automobile accident. If you’ve been injured due to the negligence of another, you deserve full compensation. 

Schiff & Associates is a personal injury law firm with experience in helping our clients get the results they deserve from automobile accident injuries and wrongful death cases. We offer a team of specialists who help to evaluate your injuries, long term consequences, loss of income and potential income. Contact us to speak with a personal injury lawyer who has your best interest at heart, to get the results you deserve with the maximum settlement amount allowed under the law.

Compensation for Soft Tissue Injuries

Accidents from motor vehicle crashes, slips and falls and workplace incidents cause many types of injuries, including soft tissue damage. Soft tissue damage may not be as noticeable as a broken bone but should not be overlooked. These types of injuries can take a long time to heal, may require ongoing medical care and could significantly impact your quality of life. 

Soft tissue injuries include:

• Whiplash

• Herniated discs

• Building discs

• Neck strains and sprains

• Shoulder strains and sprains

• Back strains and sprains

• Bursitis

• Nerve damage

• Stress injuries

• Contusions (bruising)

• Injuries to muscles, ligaments and tendons such as tendonitis

If you’ve experienced an accident due to the negligence of others that resulted in any type of injury including soft tissue damage, it is important to speak with a personal injury lawyer. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you receive the compensation you deserve. 

Personal Injury Lawyer Experienced in Soft Tissue Damage

Schiff & Associates in Columbus, Ohio is an experienced personal injury law firm with a successful track record for handling thousands of soft tissue injury cases each year. We are experienced in personal injury and wrongful death cases, with the expertise to resolve your injury claim quickly and recover all expenses associated with your injury. We conduct a thorough investigation of medical records and evidence to recover the maximum financial compensation available under the law. 

Contact us for a free initial consultation and case evaluation from an experienced personal injury attorney with expertise in soft tissue damage. Our team is committed to fighting for your rights and getting the compensation you deserve for current and future medical expenses as well as loss of income, pain and suffering. 

Schiff & Associates has provided trusted legal representation to the Columbus, OH and surrounding areas since 1982. We offer experience in personal injury and wrongful death cases, getting our clients the results they deserve. Contact us for a free initial consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.