Recreational Vehicles Lawsuit 2024 | 14 Steps to Get a Fair Settlement
Recreational vehicle (RV) accidents can turn fun and great memories into life-threatening situations that could result in painful life-long injuries. These losses can impact your short-term routines and daily activities drastically. Fortunately, filing a recreational vehicles lawsuit could help you get compensation for all the injuries and losses you have suffered from the RV accident.
Steps to file recreational vehicle lawsuit
If you are looking to file a recreational vehicle lawsuit, you simply need to remember these 14 steps.
1. Conduct a proper investigation.
Collect medical reports, police reports, witness statements, and anything else related to the recreational vehicles accident. You may need to hire private investigators and accident reconstruction specialists. They will help you gather added physical evidence and all sorts of information, including those that can be used against you. Sometimes, you can be at a serious disadvantage if you don’t conduct a thorough investigation to support your claim.
2. Photograph all important elements in your case.
Photos are proof of what you experienced. In an RV accident, it’s vital to take photographs and videos of your car and the car that hit you, the accident scene, and the injuries incurred. These pieces of evidence are strong proof of your injuries and damages. Therefore, it’s crucial that you or your attorney have plenty of photographs to win your recreational vehicle lawsuit claim.
3. Don't show medical records to the other party's insurance company.
Many recreational vehicles accident victims make the mistake of signing a release for the other party’s insurance company. However, this gives your opponent easy access to your medical records. Note that your insurance company is entitled to your medical information. Still, it’s best that you don’t reveal this critical information to the other party’s insurance company as it can be used against you.
4. Let the insurance company set up a reserve account.
After the recreational accident, the insurance company creates a reserve account for covering all the costs they expect to pay for your claim. The amount of settlement is based on the facts, evidence, and injuries you have suffered. If the reserve set aside for your injuries is greater than your damages, you won’t get much trouble to get a fair recreational vehicle lawsuit settlement for your injuries.
5. Keep the adjuster informed about the seriousness of your injuries.
If the adjuster has set a small reserve account, he will be surprised if you ask for higher damages in the weeks or months ahead. Therefore, if your recreational vehicle injuries are more or if other problems have arisen, keep the adjuster informed. He will increase the reserve account as your case progresses.
6. Don't let the insurance adjuster pressure you into settling your case.
Adjusters try to use various methods to get you to settle for a smaller amount than the fair value of your case. For instance:
- The insurance adjuster will try to get you to admit that the accident was your fault, or at least partly your fault.
- The adjuster will try to get you to give a recorded statement or sign a statement, either of which may be used against you later at trial.
- If the insurance adjuster seems polite, don’t be surprised. That kindness may be a tactic to get you to settle for less than your case is worth – and to get you to settle soon.
The longer your claim remains open, the insurance company will get more chances to resolve your claim without paying you a fair amount. In such a situation, it is important to hire a skilled and licensed recreational vehicle attorney. When the insurance company doesn’t provide you with a fair settlement, the attorney can file a suit and tell you whether the insurance company’s offers are reasonable or not.
7. Keep a day-by-day diary of your injuries.
If your recreational vehicle case goes to trial, tell the jury how many days, weeks, or months you were in pain, how long you experienced muscle spasms, and how long you suffered from headaches. Moreover, if you don’t maintain a daily log, your answers may be inaccurate.
It’s better not to risk hurting your credibility. Keep detailed notes so that you can back up your claims for damages.
8. Know all your damages and losses.
Common recreational vehicle damages include:
- Pain and suffering for your injuries.
- Loss of income for time off work.
- Loss of consortium.
- Loss of business.
- Cost of medical treatment.
- Cost of a rental car.
- Cost of fixing your car.
- Cost of hiring a housekeeper.
- Cost of hiring an in-home nurse.
- Cost for psychological counseling.
- Cost of hiring a taxi service to and from your doctor’s office.
- Any other bills/money you have paid or lost as a result of recreational vehicle injury.
9. Gather all records of bills and receipts related to the RV accident.
If you don’t make a proper record of your bills and receipts, it will become hard to prove the extent and amount of your damages and losses. So, ensure to save everything, including your doctor bills, hospital bills, pharmacy bills, and all other bills you incurred from a recreational vehicle accident. It will help you get fair compensation for recreational vehicles accident.
Bonus tip: Take a picture of your bills and receipts and save them to your phone or computer. This will make sure that you have a record, even in the event that your bills and receipts got lost or destroyed.
10. Be aware of all your injuries.
Most victims feel that if they are not hurt, they are not injured. Note, however, that injuries caused by RV accidents may not develop for days or even weeks after. So, don’t be too quick to rule out injuries just because they have not appeared yet.
Also, recreational vehicle accidents could cause the injured victim to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to how well you cope with stress, you need to be evaluated for this problem in addition to your physical injuries.
11. Know your sources for insurance coverage.
In many cases of recreational vehicle injury, the victim can legally collect from two or three different insurance policies at the same time. Yet many accident victims don’t know where to look for various insurance coverage. Your trusted recreational vehicles lawyers in Philadelphia will help you get access to all the sources for insurance coverage.
12. Take medical care until your doctor releases you.
Sometimes, RV accident victims stop visiting their doctor as soon as they feel better, even before the doctor releases them from treatment. Ensure that you continue going to the doctor until they release you. They know the causes, complications, and all the amount of money that could result from your injury.
13. File your lawsuit right away.
After your doctor releases you from treatment, quickly prepare your case by filing a recreational vehicles lawsuit. Insurance companies are often not in a hurry to handle cases unless they feel the pressure of the approaching court date. Insurance companies usually get serious about settling if they see that they would have to start paying lawyers to defend your case.
14. Ask a qualified attorney to evaluate your case.
An experienced personal injury trial attorney will review your file. He will take a deep sneak at the medical bills, police reports, doctors’ statements, time lost from work, and other information. He will then give you informed opinions about the estimated value of your case.
If you want to deal with recreational vehicles lawyers in Philadelphia who genuinely care about you and the outcome of your RV lawsuit, choose Ethen Ostroff. He and his professional connections ensure you get every dollar possible for what you went through.
