As Accident Attorneys, we meet with many people injured in car accidents and their loved ones. Many times the friends and family of an injured person suffer along with the injured and are concerned about ensuring the injured gets better and is fairly compensated for his or her injuries. Therefore, we put together some helpful tips for those caring for injured people.
- Encourage the injured to get medical treatment. Medical treatment and testing is important for two reasons. First, the injured needs to get better. Second, to get the injured a fair settlement, he or she needs to prove the severity of the injuries. Testing and treatment helps to prove the severity by establishing continued care over time. Testing and treatment can also unveil additional problems resulting from the injury that may not have been apparent when the injured was initially tested.
- Help the injured get to doctors visits or even pick up groceries. People injured in car accidents are often self-sufficient before the accident and have a hard time asking for help even after being injured. Offer to perform small tasks for the injured. Even just sitting and talking to an injured person can be therapeutic. Let the injured know you are there and you care.
- Gather information and help with paperwork. The injured has a lot stress in his or her life and paperwork is piling up. The settlement depends not only on getting medical treatment, but getting information related to the treatment and loss of wages. Keep track of all the medical care that the injured receives as well as information related to lost wages or even improvements made to the injured’s home (i.e., a wheelchair ramp or shower bar).
We hope these tips have been helpful. If you know someone who was in a car accident and you believe they need help with his or her claim, encourage him or her to contact us for a free consultation.
