It is important to know when to get in touch with an Iowa personal injury lawyer after the incident has occurred. The lawyer will then be able to help you through the entire process, from deciding if you have a claim to filing the paperwork to going to court.
If the person that you want to sue decides to fight it, you are also going to need the lawyer by your side in the courtroom so that you can work with him or her to win the case. No matter how it all plays out, though, you have to know when to get the process started.
First off, you should note that waiting too long can sometimes make it harder – or even impossible – for you to win the case. One reason for this is that it makes it look like you could have an ulterior motive. If you decide to sue someone for an injury that took place five years ago, after having ignored it for so long, and then the judge finds out that you are going through some financial trouble, he is going to assume that you are doing it to get money that you need for other things, not because you deserve it.
The best thing to do is to contact a lawyer as soon as you can after the incident. If you are badly injured, you are probably going to have to spend time in the hospital to recover. This could be the perfect time to call the lawyer in and talk to him if your injuries are not so bad that you cannot do so. For instance, if you have a broken leg, you are going to spend some time in the hospital and at home, unable to work, and you can use that time to set up the case.
If your injuries are more severe – putting you in a coma or in such bad health that you cannot see anyone – just concentrate on getting better first. Do not worry that you are going to wait too long while you are in the hospital. That is not going to look suspicious because it is very clear why you were not able to act sooner. Whenever you have recovered sufficiently and you are starting to move on with your life, get in touch with the lawyer about those medical bills and expenses.