Steps in Making a Personal Injury Claim

When you are recovering from an accident or a fall you may not be feeling ready to make a claim for personal injury.  Looking after your health should be your highest priority at a time like this, and when
the time is right you will be able to take steps to settle your claim.

Collecting evidence

While the accident is still fresh in your mind and the memories of other people involved, collect evidence that will support your claim. Write down details of the accident: everything you can recall about who was involved, and the damage it caused. Photos of your injuries and the location of the accident are a very useful form of evidence.

Contact people who witnessed your accident and confirm their contact details; make a note of your conversations with witnesses.

Keep records of any relevant events that followed the accident such as hospital visits, doctors’ bills and time lost from work.

Giving notice about a personal injury claim

It is important to inform the person that you are planning to sue that you intend to file personal injury or auto accident claims. Unless you are claiming against the government or an agency of the government there is no set time within which you must give notice of your intention to make a personal injury claim. By giving notice at an early stage you help to preserve your rights and avoid the risk of the other party claiming that you delayed informing them about your injury. Giving notice does not irrevocably commit you to taking legal action, but it does give you a chance to proceed with your claim at your own speed without feeling pressured or rushed.

Time limits for filing a personal injury claim

State laws called “statutes of limitations” set out the maximum time limits for filing different types of lawsuit. Check the statute of limitations for your type of personal injury claim in your state. If you fail to file your lawsuit within the time limit your personal injury claim is likely to fail, leaving you without compensation for your loss or injury.

If you are claiming against a government agency or government office there is a limited time for filing your personal injury lawsuit. The time limit depends on where you live and the nature of your case and is likely to be somewhere between 30 days and a year.

Take Actions When You Are Rear Ended

In the modern age in which we reside there are more cars on our roads than ever before. This unfortunately means that there is a much larger amount of road traffic accidents where people are injured.


If you are ever rear ended or in any kind of car accident that you feel is not your fault then it is absolutely paramount that you contact a car crash attorney immediately. These professionals are fully trained in dealing with every type of car crash scenario and they will be able to represent you to the best of their abilities. Having the attorney in place means that you can relax and concentrate on your recovery while they take care of all the necessary paperwork and legal issues required to proceed with your case.


One of the first things that you will be asked to do by your accident lawyer after the crash is to visit a registered physician. Normally every lawyer will have a specific physician that they use for all their cases, one that can be trusted and most important of all one whose testimony will stand up in court, if the case actually goes that far. The physician will carry out a full physical and mental test on you to ascertain exactly what injuries physical or mental, you have incurred as a result of the car crash. These results will help your lawyer to proceed with your case and calculate the amount of compensation that you will be entitled to.