Just about everyone who drives throughout adulthood is bound to be in at least one car accident. The accident might be a single-vehicle mishap or involve multiple vehicles with many contributing factors. No matter how it occurs, auto insurance is required to help pay the costs of vehicular accidents.

When the negligence of one or more drivers causes an injury accident, the at-fault drivers are liable for damages, which their auto insurance should cover up to policy limits.

Insurance Settlements Aren’t Guaranteed

The Illinois Department of Transportation says the state averages more than 300,000 vehicular accidents that cause more than 70,000 personal injuries every year. If you are among those who suffered an injury that requires medical care, you can file an insurance claim to pay for your damages.

Those damages include medical costs, pain and suffering, and lost wages, but insurers often try to minimize their costs by paying substandard settlements. Here’s a closer look at how you can get a full and fair injury accident settlement.

Retain an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney

Getting a full and fair insurance settlement starts with retaining an experienced auto accident attorney Plainfield residents can rely on to help uphold their rights and file strongly supported claims. When you retain an attorney, your insurer and any others involved in the matter can’t contact you directly.

Instead, all communications must go through your attorney’s law office. The same goes for any opposing attorneys and debt collectors who might contact you to collect debts that are related to the injury accident. When you retain an experienced attorney, insurers and others know it will be harder to lowball your settlement because you have legal representation.

Document Your Injuries and Related Harms

Whenever someone is injured in a vehicular accident, obtaining medical treatment as soon as possible is important to show the accident caused those injuries. If you need to take an ambulance to the emergency room right away, you should so that the hospital staff can diagnose and document your injuries.

The medical diagnosis is strong evidence that shows your injuries are directly related to the accident and not pre-existing or caused by some other issue afterward.

Some injuries are latent and not readily apparent, such as head injuries or whiplash. The potential for latent injuries is high during car accidents because the effects of shock and general numbness might mask injuries that become more apparent hours or days later. It’s important to obtain initial medical care and follow-up care that can document your injuries, including any latent injuries that reveal themselves afterward.

Compile a Daily Journal While Healing

You should make a daily note of your injuries, the pain you feel, and how the injuries affected your activities for the day. If you felt a lot of pain and could not get out of bed, you should write that in your journal. You also should take photos of your injuries, including any bruising, swelling, or lacerations, each day to show how the healing has progressed.

If you have to wear a cast, brace, or other medical equipment, you should take photos of those to show how long you needed them to heal. Your attorney can use that information to help you file strongly supported insurance claims and any legal claims that might be necessary to obtain a full and fair settlement from the insurer and any at-fault parties.