When you’re injured due to the negligence or recklessness of another person, you may need help making a bodily injury claim to recover compensation for your losses. Our experienced attorneys at the Etengoff Pak Law Group – Vancouver Personal Injury Attorney, understand the claims process and can help you navigate the complex insurance issues that will come up. We will stand beside you and make sure you get what you deserve. Call us today at (360) 693-2919 to find out how we can help you with a bodily injury claim.
What Is a Bodily Injury Claim?
Bodily injury occurs when you’re involved in an incident that results in harm to you physically and mentally. Although bodily injuries obviously affect a victim’s physical health, almost all accidents result in mental anguish as well. You make a bodily injury claim with an insurance company in an attempt seek to recover compensation for injuries that have occurred.
Compensation you may receive will cover the following:
- Past medical treatment
- Future medical expenses
- Hospital bills
- Ambulance transportation costs
- Emergency room (ER) costs
- Primary care doctor visits
- Surgical fees
- Ongoing medical needs
- Inpatient and outpatient medical services
- Rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Over the counter medications and supplies
An experienced attorney can help you compile a list of all of your expenses to submit with your bodily injury claim. You will need to have all medical bills and an estimate of ongoing and future costs. The Etengoff Pak Law Group – Vancouver Personal Injury Attorney will make sure you include all of your expenses in your claim.
Evaluating Your Bodily Injury Claim
After receiving the medical care you need, you should seek legal assistance to begin evaluating your bodily injury claim. When you make a claim, the insurance company will consider your injuries and medical needs. You need to be able to prove that you have had losses due to your bodily injuries and you deserve compensation for your losses.
We will present evidence to the insurance company that you have many physical and psychosomatic medical needs. Psychosomatic medicine considers the relationship between social, psychological, and behavioral factors in the healing process. Extremely traumatic injuries can result in a difficult healing process that requires both physical and psychosomatic medicine.
We will also evaluate the changes your body has undergone due to the trauma it has incurred. You will experience both structural and functional changes. Structural changes are those that are visible and easily proven with x-rays, lab tests, and visualization. Injuries such as fractures, bruises, and amputations are structural. Functional changes are less visible, but can lead to things like vascular failure and heart conditions. Functional changes include those that impact the way you live your day to day life after a traumatic injury.
When evaluating your bodily injury claim, we will determine the result of your accident and establish all your medical needs. We may use the testimony of your doctors and expert witnesses to prove how your life has been impacted. Our experienced attorneys can guide you through the process and help you gather the necessary evidence.
Types of Bodily Injuries
When making a bodily injury claim, it’s important to identify and report all our injuries. You may have suffered polytrauma, which involves injuries to more than one part of your body. Some common bodily injuries include the following:
- Traumatic Injuries – Accidents involving great force can result in traumatic injuries that are often debilitating.
- Soft Tissue Damage – Injury to your muscles and ligaments can cause aches and pains that last for a significant amount of time. Sprains and strains can have a lasting impact on your health.
- Hard Tissue Injuries – Broken bones and skull fractures can take significant time to heal. These types of injuries are common after car accidents.
- Whiplash – Some of the most common types of injuries are neck pains called whiplash. This is the result of traumatic movement of the head as an accident quickly moves the neck back and forth.
- Spinal Cord Injuries – Damage to the back can result in debilitation and even paralysis. These injuries require immediate emergency medical treatment.
- Head Injuries – Mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injuries as well as skull fractures and other soft tissue damage are common in accidents. CAT scans and MRIs are often used to document these injuries.
- Residual or Permanent Injuries – Serious injuries can often result in harm that lasts a significant amount of time or permanently. You may have to live with your injuries forever.
Legal Advice for a Bodily Injury Claim
If you’ve suffered a bodily injury, you deserve to obtain compensation for your losses. You will likely have significant medical expenses as well as long-term medical needs. Let us help you evaluate your needs and then submit a bodily injury claim with the proper insurance company to obtain the compensation you deserve. Call Etengoff Pak Law Group – Vancouver Personal Injury Attorney today at (360) 693-2919.
