Tips for Stress Management When Pursuing an Injury Claim

If you’ve been injured in an accident through no fault of your own, you may be able to seek financial compensation for the unexpected expenses and other losses you’ve incurred. This is often achieved through a personal injury claim against the at-fault individual or business. The compensation you receive can help you move on with your life. But how do you deal with the stress while the case is underway?

Navigating the personal injury claims process can be confusing and stressful, particularly if you are still recovering from significant injuries. Doctor’s visits and physical therapy may consume much of your time. Mounting medical bills and the uncertainty about how to pay them may add to your anxiety.

There are simple steps to help manage the stress when it comes to pursuing an injury claim.

Seek Medical Attention

Even if you feel fine after an accident, you should be evaluated by a medical professional. One of the most common mistakes accident victims make is forgoing medical care. Most often, it’s because the individual doesn’t believe their injuries are serious.

Some injuries, like whiplash, back pain, and head injuries don’t always immediately reveal themselves. You may have sustained internal injuries that aren’t apparent. If left untreated, those injuries may result in serious complications. A trained medical professional may be able to diagnose these injuries, even though they aren’t yet obvious to you.

Most insurance companies require accident victims to be evaluated within 72 hours of the accident. The longer you wait to be evaluated, the more likely it is that the insurance company will question your claim. The insurer may argue that your injuries are the result of a separate incident and refuse to accept liability.

Seeking immediate medical care will give you peace of mind. It will also help you protect your rights to pursue a personal injury claim later, if necessary. You should not be responsible for medical costs related to an accident caused by someone else’s carelessness or negligence.

Use Your Insurance to Cover Your Initial Medical Costs

You don’t need the stress of dealing with calls from debt collectors while trying to recover from your injuries. You want to avoid accumulating medical debt to the extent possible. If you have insurance that covers your injuries, you should use it.

The State of Florida requires motorists to have a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection insurance and $10,000 and $10,000 in property damage liability insurance. After a car accident involving injuries, you initially file a claim against your own PIP insurance for your medical bills and those of your passengers. Your PIP policy covers 80 percent of all necessary medical expenses up to $10,000 per person and it pays for loss of income due to disability. The money is paid regardless of who caused the accident.

If you have optional Medpay insurance, you can file a claim against it after you have exhausted your PIP coverage. A knowledgeable lawyer at Chiumento Law can help you sort out which bills should be covered by your own insurance and which should be part of a claim against the at-fault driver’s liability insurance.

You may seek to recoup some of these costs later by filing a personal injury claim. But using your own PIP and Medpay insurance policies initially can help minimize the stress of medical debt after a serious accident

Write in a Journal

Keeping a daily journal as your recover from serious injuries can be beneficial in many ways.

Being injured in an accident can upend your entire life, particularly if your injuries are severe or require long-term medical care. You may experience a wide range of emotions, including fear, sadness, confusion, anger, anxiety, and depression after a traumatic accident.

One healthy way to deal with these emotions is to express them on paper. Keeping a journal can be a form of therapy. You’ll probably feel better once you’ve let those feelings out and written them down. You’ll also have created documentation that your attorney can use as evidence to support your personal injury case.

It can be challenging to quantify an accident victim’s pain and suffering. Keeping a daily record of your level of physical pain and your psychological state can be enormously helpful as your attorney works to evaluate your claim’s overall value. If you suffered emotional or mental consequences due to another person’s negligence, you should be compensated for those losses.

Reach Out for Help

While many accident victims turn inwards and retreat from the world at large after an accident, leaning on your support system in your time of need is crucial to your overall well-being. Family and friends can provide critical emotional and mental support when you are struggling.

Talking with a family member or friend can provide an outside perspective of your situation. It may help you see your circumstances in a more optimistic light.

Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer

Selecting the right personal injury lawyer to represent you can ease your stress. You should select an attorney that you feel comfortable talking to about your ordeal. You should make sure the attorney has extensive experience handling personal injury claims and that the attorney has represented people with similar cases to yours. You should hire someone who Is ready to give your case the attention it deserves.

While the immediate aftermath of an accident can be nerve-racking, the claims process can be just as stress-inducing. Insurance companies use various tactics to protect themselves, including offering you a quick, lowball settlement to limit the insurers’ liability.

Seeking legal representation as soon as possible after you receive medical treatment has numerous benefits, including reducing stress and giving you peace of mind that you are taking the right steps. A personal injury attorney can handle the communications with the insurance company. The attorney will know how to present a strong case on your behalf. Working with an experienced injury attorney can significantly improve your chances of recovering full compensation for your injuries.

If you were injured in an accident, call the Florida personal injury lawyers at Chiumento Law, PLLC today at (386) 454-8900. We are a full-service law firm with office locations in Palm Coast and Ormond Beach.

Founded in 1973, our firm has extensive experience helping injury victims just like you. We have the knowledge and resources to help you. Our attorneys will handle every aspect of your case for you so that you can focus on rebuilding your life.

Contact us today for a free, no-risk consultation to discuss your case and review your legal options.