The Best Advice for Women Filing a Personal Injury Claim

Personal injury is a legal term that defines a wide range of circumstances where one party’s negligence or deliberate action causes harm to the mind, body or emotions of another party. Women file as many personal injury claims as men, and those that win are aggressive about their claims.

Personal injury cases are civil, meaning the defendant does not face the prospect of jail time. Because they are civil rather than criminal, the burden of proof for personal injury is lower and is based on a preponderance of the evidence, rather than reasonable doubt.

In a personal injury case, the plaintiff seeks financial compensation only as damages from injuries caused by the behavior of the defendant. The plaintiff must show that the injuries were in fact caused by the defendant’s behavior, that the defendant’s behavior was reckless, willful, or negligent and that the injuries caused have a financial impact to the plaintiff that can be quantified.

Personal injury can occur in nearly any situation, but most often they are brought in traffic accidents, medical malpractice, slip and falls on private and public property, defective products, and assault. The injuries from personal injury can be physical, mental or emotional and damages will often cover medical bills, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life.

When a woman brings a personal injury claim, to improve her odds of winning the case she should do these things:

Hire the Right Attorney

If you do a search, you will literally find dozens of personal injury lawyers in your area who all claim to be the best. The reality is however that just like anything else, attorneys come in all different levels of quality and skill. When you search for an attorney you should look for the following qualities:

Experience in your type of case: Each area of personal injury has its own set of factors that require an expert to navigate. Make sure that the law firm has a long and successful history in filing and winning your type of personal injury claim.

Respect for you: The attorney you chose should treat you respectfully. They should be prompt for meetings and be attentive to your needs. There is a chance you will be in considerable pain, while working with them, so they should accommodate you by coming to you and working around your medical appointments when needed.

Be organized and have a plan to win: The attorneys should lay out an exact plan for winning your case. They should be well organized and systematic in their approach and make sure you understand how things will work and what you need to do during every phase of the case.

Make Sure You are Prepared

In a personal injury case those who are prepared greatly improve their chances for receiving a positive outcome. To prepare you should write down in great detail the circumstances under which you were injured. Write down what happened to you physically, but also emotionally and mentally, since these aspects may be a part of your case.

If you are able, take pictures where it happened and point out any issues that may have led to your injuries particularly if they seem due to negligence or willfulness by the defendant. You should also reference any witnesses and police reports that may have accompanied the incident.

Additionally as you take appointments with your doctors and attorneys, notes dates and what happened during those appointments. If they cause you to lose time from work or are confirmation of your injuries, they are very valuable.

Finally, remember there is also the mental anguish that can happen from personal injury. You are in a car accident and you develop anxiety about being in cars, as an example. Yet you must drive to work every day. This is a real issue and can be relevant to your personal injury case. So make sure you write it all down and present it to your attorney.

Personal injury cases can be tough on women because they are often emotional roller coasters with many untrue accusations being espoused by the defendant’s attorneys. They can be particularly nasty when they involve the defendant’s insurance company, so be tough and remember that plaintiffs with great attorneys and who have prepared well win them all the time.