Maximizing Your Personal Injury Compensation

If you have been injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, Arizona law entitles you to compensation. The law also seeks to hold the other party accountable for their negligent actions. Unfortunately, a personal injury incident can leave you requiring costly medical treatment and unable to work.

While you can recover compensation for your injuries, sometimes it may not be enough to cover all your expenses. Additionally, personal injury claims can be complicated and overwhelming, including dealing with insurance companies out to shortchange you.

With a personal injury incident likely to leave you in financial and emotional distress, you need the insurance company to cover the true cost of your injuries. You need a concrete strategy to maximize your personal injury compensation. An experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyer can help you strategize on how to maximize your compensation.

Personal Injury Claims and Compensation

In Arizona, you must prove the other party’s negligence to recover compensation. You also need to navigate complex legal concepts like comparative negligence and statute of limitations. A legal or strategic miscalculation can potentially reduce your compensation amount.

Additionally, you are up against experienced insurance adjusters attempting to reduce your compensation. While most insurance companies seek to settle out-of-court, negotiations can be challenging. You need to be well prepared for the questions the insurance adjusters will raise. Remember, while you seek to maximize your compensation, they seek to minimize it.

You need excellent negotiating skills and tactics considering who you are negotiating with and their objectives. It is advisable to seek the help of a skilled personal injury attorney to represent you in the negotiations. The lawyer will use their experience and skills to ensure you get fair compensation.

The Types of Compensation Available

Personal injury incidents often leave victims with economic and non-economic damages. The economic damages you can recover include medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, and loss of earning capacity. In some cases, you can also recover property damage. For instance, if your car was damaged in an accident due to another’s negligence, you can recover repair costs.

The other type of compensation available is non-economic damages. This includes pain and suffering, emotional or mental distress, and loss of companionship. You can also recover damages for the wrongful death of a loved one.

In some instances, you can also recover punitive damages from the defendant. While a personal injury lawsuit seeks to compensate the injured party for their injuries, the court can award punitive damages. Punitive damages are monetary awards to a plaintiff on top of the compensatory award they are to receive.

Besides holding the defendant accountable for their negligence, the court awards punitive damages to punish the defendant for their outrageous conduct. The court awards punitive damages if it finds that the defendant’s actions were so outrageous and it can be assumed they intended to injure the victim.

The Importance of Gathering Strong Evidence

The success of your personal injury case depends on the quality of your evidence. Whether you only need to prove the other party’s negligence or are seeking punitive damages, you need strong evidence. Here are some actions you may need to take to gather strong and relevant evidence:

1. Document the accident scene. Document the scene and preserve initial documentation, including accident reports and police reports where applicable. You can document the scene by taking photos, videos, and witness statements. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you can request someone else to do it for you.
2. Preserve medical records. Medical records and related documentation help establish the extent of your injuries and the cost of your treatment. The records can include diagnoses, treatment plans, and billing statements. Detailed and consistent medical records give credibility to your personal injury claims and are critical when seeking to maximize compensation.
3. Have an expert witness. Expert witnesses provide specialized knowledge and unbiased opinion to help the court and the jury understand complex issues relating to the case. Expert testimony can play a critical role in ensuring you get a fair settlement. For instance, a medical expert can strengthen your case by helping establish the extent of your injuries, including expected rehabilitative expenses.

Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer

You need to prove negligence and establish liability to recover damages in a personal injury case. Maximizing your compensation can be a challenging task, especially as you are against insurance companies trying to make a profit by offering you an unfair settlement. Unlike you, insurance adjusters have incredible negotiating skills and experience to achieve their objectives.

Without a proper strategy, you risk losing to the insurance companies and getting compensation that cannot cover all your damages. However, having a skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer by your side changes everything. The lawyer will be able to match the insurance adjuster’s negotiating skills and experience and ensure you get fair compensation.

An attorney will help you conduct thorough investigations and gather relevant evidence. If you need expert testimony, a personal injury lawyer will get you the relevant expert for your case to help maximize compensation. An attorney will also ensure you recover punitive damages where applicable.

Additionally, a personal injury attorney will help you navigate complex legal concepts like comparative negligence and statute of limitations. They will also advise you on the value of your claim and the steps you must take to maximize compensation.

Contact a Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer

Recovering damages in an Arizona personal injury case can be legally complex. Besides navigating the complexities, you have to deal with insurance companies seeking to shortchange you. Going head-to-head with the insurance companies while still recovering from your injuries can be overwhelming.

But, you can rely on our skilled and experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys at Huselid & Huselid Law to protect your rights and help maximize your compensation. Contact us to schedule a free consultation and learn more about our services.