When you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you are instantly thrust into a nerve wracking experience that seems like it might never end. That’s what the insurance companies want you to think because they know that if they can wear you down, you’ll either go away or agree to a much lower settlement amount. At the end of the day, their job is to save money. At the end of our day, our job is to protect our clients from acting against their own best interest.
The first time you meet with a personal injury attorney, you will need to bring certain documentation along to give him or her the best overall picture of your case. These documents will allow your attorney to immediately step in to begin protecting your rights. Our checklist can help you keep track of it all.
What to bring:
- Medical bills to date for each treatment provider, including physical therapy and follow up
- Record of any direct payments made for all medical treatment, prescriptions, and medical supplies/devices
- Any medical opinions as to potential future medical treatment, including surgery
- Accident report, if police were dispatched
- Ambulance run report, if emergency medical services were dispatched
- Any traffic tickets issued to you, or the disposition of any tickets issued to the other driver(s)
- Name, address, and phone number of each doctor who treated you
- Name, address, and phone number of each known witness to the accident
- Any photos or video documenting your injuries, personal property damage, and area of the accident scene
- List of your current prescription medications and dosages
- A copy of your auto insurance card and policy
- Any correspondence from your insurance carrier or from the other party’s insurance company
- All documentation and bills related to any vehicle repairs, towing, or storage
- All documentation and bills related to a rental car
- Health insurance coverage information and out of pocket deductible expenses
- Homeowners insurance policy information (in the event of a slip and fall)
- Any documentation related to lost time from work
- Pay stubs showing lost wages due to your accident injuries
- Any text messages, voicemails, or other communications between you and the other party, his/her attorney or representative
- A list of anyone you have spoken with about your accident and what you told them
- Completed attorney intake forms
Some tips to help make things easier
The process of filing a lawsuit can take some time, as medical experts assess your needs and treatment plans – and as the insurance companies try to prove you’re not as injured as you are. Maintain a record of how you feel each day, including any activities that you need to modify or are unable to do. You don’t have to share this journal with the insurance companies; in fact, it would be better if you did not.
Create a bullet point chronology of events if you have attempted to handle your case for a period of time. This will help your attorney see where a breakdown occurred or how the insurance company and at-fault party have behaved, which may be able to be shifted into leverage for your case.
Make copies of all original documents to leave with your attorney. There may come a time when you’ll need access to an original document. It also tends to save clients’ costs, leaving more of any potential settlement you’ll receive intact.
Expect that you will likely need to sign a HIPAA authorization to allow your attorney to obtain your medical records and bills for settlement purposes once you finally complete treatment. Customarily, you will sign more than one original medical release because some medical facilities require an original in order to process the request.
When the accident wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t have to lose your financial security or the comfort and ease of your everyday life. Our attorneys want to help you get back to normal as soon as possible by filing a claim on your behalf. Our goal is to settle your case as quickly and fairly as possible so that your life can move forward.
To schedule your free case consultation with the knowledgeable personal injury attorneys at Delius & McKenzie, PLLC, call 865-297-4425, or please feel free to reach out to us through our contact page to tell us your story. We are honored to serve clients in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Seymour, Gatlinburg, and the surrounding areas in Tennessee.
Attorney Bryan E. Delius was born and raised in Sevier County, TN. He founded Delius & McKenzie more than 20 years ago, after receiving his JD from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He is admitted in Tennessee and in several federal court systems. Learn more about Bryan E. Delius.
