5 Easy Steps to Do-it-yourself Settlement

Step 1: Documentation

 
Documentation is the key to obtaining full value for your injury claim. You are not going to be paid by the insurance adjuster based upon your good looks or how loudly you can whine. The adjuster is going to follow a scripted evaluation process that is tied to documentation, so you may as well learn all the tricks of the trade right now. If you hire an attorney to represent you and your insurance claim, you still have to document the same things. So why not do it yourself, at least for now?

Documentation is required in four main areas:

• the accident scene and all things connected thereto that show liability or the extent of your personal injuries
  
• the extent to which your injuries interfere with your daily life and prevent you from engaging in activities you used to enjoy
  
• your reasonable and necessary medical/therapeutic costs, wages lost and other items of special damages
  
• a clear and unambiguous diagnosis statement by your treating doctor(s) and therapists that ties your injuries to the accident, summarizes the way(s) you experience pain and suffering and the extent to which the injuries and pain have interfered with your life, and offers a prognosis that includes both the prospects of permanent or long-term care and an estimate of the medical costs thereof
  

These tasks are covered in detail in our Members Only area, including:

• At the Accident Scene (Document Everything!)
  
• Witnesses
  
• How to Finesse a Manager's Report
  
• Organization/Notes
  
• Preserving Evidence
  
• Photographs to Preserve Evidence
  
• Witnesses Checklists
  
• Sample Witness Statements
  
• Confidential Personal Diary
  
• Evidence to Support Your Claim
  
• Medical Care Documentation
  
• How to "Correct" Errors in Your Medical Reports and Records
  

Continue to Step 2: Treatment