When you have been injured due to the negligence of someone else, it’s essential that you see a doctor as soon as possible. If you wait too long, you could lose your legal rights or weaken any claim you might want to file.
Below, this personal injury attorney in Brandon, Florida is going to explain why moving quickly is crucial for your case.
What does Florida law require?
Florida law gives you exactly 2 years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss that deadline, good luck convincing any court to hear your case. Getting a personal injury attorney in Brandon, Florida involved early can make sure you don’t accidentally let that window close.
And if you want to use your Personal Injury Protection insurance (PIP) benefits after a car accident, you generally only get 14 days after the crash to see a medical professional. Wait longer than that, and you risk that the insurer can refuse to cover big chunks of your medical bills.
Delaying medical care can hurt your personal injury case.
Evidence of what caused the injury.
Imagine that you slip on a wet floor in a store, but you wait a month before finally limping into a doctor’s office. By then, the swelling has gone down, the bruises have faded, and the medical records don’t show how bad things were right after the accident. This gives the defense lawyer or insurance adjuster room to argue that your injury was caused by something else.
Credibility with insurers, juries, or judges.
If you wait weeks before seeing a doctor and then show up asking for compensation, people start raising eyebrows. Opposing lawyers might argue that if you were truly injured, you would have sought medical help sooner.
Even if you felt okay at first, injuries like concussions or whiplash can stay hidden under the radar before they show their symptoms later. Delaying makes your story seem less convincing, and that can chip away at how seriously insurers, juries, or judges take you.
Insurance companies are not flexible.
Insurance companies set tight deadlines. For example, with Florida PIP, failing to see a qualified medical provider within those 14 days will give the insurer every excuse to reduce or even deny your claim. Also, if you don’t file a proper notice or forget to provide medical documentation when they ask, they will happily close the door on benefits that should have been yours.
What should you do immediately after you have suffered an injury?
First, see a doctor or urgent care, even if you think you are not badly injured. Tell the medical provider everything, like how it happened, what you felt immediately afterward, what’s hurting now, etc. Even if you think a bruise or ache will go away in a few days, having a doctor note it all down helps your case.
You should also document everything you possibly can. Take photos of the accident scene (wet floor, lighting, road hazard), your injuries over time, your clothes, shoes, etc. Write down what you were feeling each day, like pain levels, swelling, headaches, trouble sleeping, etc. It all shows the ripple effect the accident had on your life.
Remember to report the accident properly. If it happened on someone else’s property, tell the owner or manager. If it was a car accident, get the police involved and grab a copy of the report. Collect witness names and contact information if possible.
Reach out to a personal injury attorney in Brandon, Florida sooner rather than later. Even if you are unsure how bad your injuries are, an experienced attorney knows which doctors’ notes insurance companies truly respect and what evidence really moves the needle.
Looking for a personal injury attorney in Brandon, Florida?
If you are feeling buried under medical bills, missing workdays, or just wondering if the system is going to treat you fairly, now is the time to talk to an experienced personal injury attorney in Brandon, Florida. Tonya Stewart and her legal team have helped plenty of people in your shoes figure out the next steps without losing sleep over deadlines or insurance headaches. Contact us today at (863) 279-4473 to get started.