Personal Injury Checklist
What is a Personal Injury Checklist?
If you’ve been involved in a personal injury, there may be a lot of information that you will need to keep track of. You may wish to create a “personal injury checklist” to help you keep everything in order. This is a list of all the important data and documents that might be used when initiating a personal injury lawsuit or legal claim.
When making your checklist, it helps to organize your list into two different categories: “Important Information” and “Documents”. For example, you may wish to write your list as follows:
Important Information:
- Contact information of the party that caused your injury or injuries
- Contact information of any other persons involved in the event
- Date, location, and circumstances of the accident
- Names and contact information of any witnesses or persons you spoke to immediately after the accident
- Name, address, and contact number of the emergency room or hospital you visited after the injury
- Contact information of all the physicians who treated or examined you
- Information regarding insurance policies, both for your insurance company and the other party that was involved
- Dates of work periods that you missed due to the injury or accident
- Any other important data, statistics, or contact information
Documents:
- Police reports or accident reports
- Written statements from the opposing party and from key witnesses
- Medical coverage policies
- Hospital bills, medical bills, pharmaceutical receipts, bills from visits to the chiropractor, etc.
- Insurance policy statements
- Other major policies, such as medical coverage, work benefits, and veteran’s insurance
- All correspondences/letters from the opposite party, witnesses, and third-party operators such as insurance companies or government agencies
- Receipts for expenses related to the injury, especially for damaged property
- Pay stubs (if you have lost wages on account of the accident)
- A list of any questions you may have when interviewing your personal injury lawyer
- Any photos or video footage of the accident and the scene of the incident immediately following the event
As you can see, there may be a lot of information to process, even for claims that seem to be straight-forward. Be sure to make copies of the documents and to verify that all the information is correct- these can be used as evidence if you decide to file a lawsuit. Also, it is helpful to make a written account of the event (like a diary entry), so that you can record the details for later reference.
How Can a Lawyer Help with a Personal Injury?
You may wish to hire a lawyer for assistance with your personal injury claim. Your personal injury lawyer can help you compile the information and documents in preparation for a lawsuit. Personal injury laws can be quite different from state to state, so be sure to inquire with an attorney if you need help with the rules in your area.
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Last Modified: 12-21-2011 11:40 AM PST
