Everyone’s safety is vital, so make sure you and anybody else wounded in an accident obtain medical treatment immediately. And, if at all feasible, begin documenting the occurrence in case you require important information later.
If you subsequently visit a personal injury attorney, any pictures, witness interviews, police or other official records, or even your own notes about what happened may be useful. It is recommended that you keep records of any medical diagnosis or treatments that are prescribed.
Take photos of the location and car damage, obtain a copy of the police report, and retain copies of medical bills and hospital records.
The Claims Process
Your following measures will normally be determined by the location and severity of your injury. After informing your manager about a workplace injury, you’ll need to follow state and company rules to get compensation.
Apart from that, should you be hurt at a public beach park in Honolulu or on a hiking route, you may be subject to additional restrictions that require you to file an official notice with the appropriate government agency or municipal body.
Most personal injury cases are resolved without the need for a lawsuit or a trial, whether through private insurance, workers’ compensation, or settlement offers from insurance companies.
Those who do not comply may be subjected to a period known as “discovery,” during which both parties attempt to obtain as much information about the occurrence as they can.
Interviews and oral depositions, written requests for documents, and consultations with physicians and other expert witnesses are all examples of what might be included in discovery investigations.
Be aware that many settlement offers require you to waive your ability to bring a personal injury lawsuit later on, and that some settlement offers include non-disclosure agreements that prevent you from discussing the contents of the deal with anyone else after accepting it.
Never sign a personal injury settlement agreement without first consulting with personal injury attorneys like Lowenthal.
Filing a Lawsuit
Hawaii has regulations that restrict how long a person has after an injury happens to bring a lawsuit, with the time clock typically starting from the day of the accident or the date the injury occurs, as the case may be.
In most circumstances, Hawaii’s “statutes of limitations” allow you to bring a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the incident. When filing a medical malpractice claim, the stopwatch starts from the moment you might have reasonably discovered the injury, but the statute of limitations cannot be extended beyond six years after the occurrence occurred.
It is a good idea to contact personal injury attorneys such as Lowenthal as soon as possible.
