If you are injured, the first thing to do is to seek medical treatment immediately. If you have health insurance, use it. Do not wait to seek medical treatment under the mistaken belief that the defendant or the defendant’s insurance company will pay as medical bills are incurred. They will not ordinarily pay. If you do not have health insurance, or have money to pay for your health care, some doctors will agree to treat you and wait for payment when you recover from the person who injured you. You need to attend all scheduled doctor appointments in order to fully document the nature and extent of your injuries, and avoid any lapses in treatment.

You should keep detailed and accurate records about lost work, medical bills, and property damage repairs. You should also immediately document your personal injuries and property damage with photographs. Documenting the names, addresses and phone numbers of persons involved in the incident (such as the operator of the vehicle, passengers, witnesses, police officers, insurance companies, etc.) or the damages suffered is also very important. It is also important to maintain a list of every health care professional who treated you as a result of your injury. Additionally, I recommend that you do not talk to anyone (or give a written or recorded statement) about the case (particularly a representative of any insurance company) or sign any documents until you have sought the advice of your own attorney.