Seek medical attention as soon as possible
The first tip for those looking to strengthen their Mississippi personal injury case is to seek medical attention as soon as possible after an injury-producing incident occurs. There are two reasons for this: First, the sooner you seek medical help, the sooner the doctor can begin treating you and the sooner you can start recovering from your injuries. By delaying treatment, you increase the amount of time you must endure your injury and, in some cases, might actually compound your trouble by making the initial injury worse. Second, by delaying treatment you open the door for the defendant (or insurance company) to undermine your case. Insurance companies can seize on a delay and portray it as proof that your injury was not that serious to begin with, arguing that if it were you would have sought help immediately. Insurance companies might also argue that the delay indicates your injury occurred elsewhere, such as in a subsequent accident on your own time, meaning they should be excused from liability.
Don’t delay hiring an attorney
Next, if you want to ensure you put your personal injury case in the strongest possible position, don’t delay reaching out to a Mississippi personal injury attorney. The sooner you hire a lawyer you trust, the sooner the lawyer can get the ball rolling. It’s a funny thing, but evidence (and witnesses) has a way of disappearing. The more time that elapses after an accident occurs, the better the odds are that details will become cloudy or information will go missing. Records can disappear, witnesses can move or change phone numbers, surveillance footage can be deleted and documents can get destroyed. The sooner your lawyer can hit the ground running, the better your odds of building a strong personal injury case.
Avoid settling too soon
Finally, though it can be tempting to jump at the first offer from a defendant or insurance company, it is almost always better to wait. It’s a universal truth that a person’s first offer is never their best. This rule applies most especially to insurance companies, who start out at their floor, rather than their ceiling, allowing themselves plenty of room to increase their offer should they be required to do so. By accepting the first offer, you are settling for less, and potentially far less, than you might have been able to get by holding out longer.
If you have been the victim of a recent accident or injury and have questions or concerns, please contact the Mississippi personal injury attorneys at Kilpatrick & Philley toll free at 601-707-4669. Our lawyers have years of experience and are eager to help those in need of advice.