How Can You Assist Your Lawyer In Your Personal Injury Claim?

KEY THINGS TO DO AND HOW THIS BENEFITS YOUR CLAIM.

Pursuing a personal injury claim may be a daunting experience, however if your work with your solicitor in providing as much information as possible then your solicitor can maximize your claim and achieve the best possible result for you.

In a personal injury claim, you may be entitled to claim damages for pain and suffering; past wage loss; future wage loss; medical expenses and domestic assistance/attendant care.

In most cases it may take 18-24 months to conclude your claim which means that at the final stages of your claim you may not recall valuable information. It is in your best interests to keep records and note all information which may assist your solicitor in finalising your claim. Here are some suggestions on what you can do to assist:

• To support your claim for pain and suffering, it may assist if you keep a diary of how the injuries affect you and your daily living. Also if you obtain statements from family and friends who can make a comparison of the way you were before the accident compared to now.

• For a claim regarding wage loss, it is suggested you keep records of your time off work. If you have your taxation returns in your possession then you should provide your solicitor with your taxation records from 5 years before the accident to date. If you were unemployed at the time of the accident but actively seeking employment then you must provide proof of such applications including keeping records of job applications, persons you spoke with, centrelink records and letters from companies regarding job applications.

• To claim past and future medical expenses, it is very important that the expenses be documented. To claim your past medical expenses such as your GP consultations, specialist reviews and physiotherapy treatment, you must provide your solicitor with receipts and/or accounts relating to that expense. For pharmaceutical expenses a printout from your chemist is sufficient. You should forward your accounts/receipts to your solicitor regularly so the solicitor is aware of your out of pocket expenses prior to finalising the claim.

• To support a claim for domestic assistance/attendant care it is essential that you keep precise records and notes on who is providing the assistance, the duration of that assistance i.e. number of hours per week, the nature of the duties performed i.e. vacuuming, mopping etc and the cost if any, paid for the assistance. It is suggested you keep a weekly or monthly diary or schedule setting out the above particulars.

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At Gerard Malouf & Partners we offer a service of the first consultation free to ascertain details of your claim & explain our services that only require payment if the action we undertake on your behalf is successful.