A construction site accident that causes catastrophic injuries can turn your whole life upside down. These accidents may involve falls, chemical exposure, collapsed ceilings, falling objects, lacerations caused by power tools, and other severe injuries.
You are going to have a lot to deal with, such as doctor’s office visits, reporting the injury to your employer, filling prescriptions, and procuring medical devices. It’s also important to file for workers’ compensation benefits as soon as possible.
Your New York construction accident attorney will guide you through the process, and they may also be able to file a third-party lawsuit seeking additional compensation beyond what’s available as part of your workers’ comp benefits.
To make it easier for your attorney to help you, it’s a good idea to carefully document the accident that caused your injuries and all the expenses that it generates.
How To Document Your Accident
When a construction site accident occurs, you will want to record images of the accident scene as soon as possible and collect contact information from all witnesses. But if you have to be rushed to the hospital for immediate medical treatment, you won’t be able to document the accident scene.
As soon as you have an opportunity, take steps to review the accident scene and document as much as you can about how the accident occurred. If you aren’t feeling up to it or you are in the hospital, your New York personal injury attorney can do it for you. Your lawyer can also subpoena any available security camera footage.
When you document the accident, try to collect the following types of information:
- Photographs of the accident scene
- The incident report
- Contact information from witnesses
- Names of first responders who assisted you
- Any cell phone videos that coworkers made of the incident
How To Document Medical Expenses
Your attorney will request all of your medical records from healthcare providers, but it’s still important for you to keep your own records. For one thing, people make mistakes, and there may be errors or omissions in your official medical records. By going over your personal records, your attorney can ensure that nothing is missed.
It’s also important to keep your own records because there are a lot of expenses related to your injury that aren’t part of your official medical records, such as parking expenses for a medical appointment and time missed from work.
To help create an accurate picture of all your expenses, keep a journal that includes all your medical appointments, symptoms you reported to your doctor, what the medical practitioner did, and any treatment recommendations they made.
It’s a good idea to keep a calendar that includes when the accident occurred, the treatments you received, the paperwork you filed, and the number of days you missed from work due to the accident. You can also keep a file where you scan all of your receipts into your computer.
The types of accident receipts and information you should keep include the following:
- Copays and admitting charges
- Travel, parking, and hotel accommodations
- Emergency medical treatments
- Doctor’s office visits
- Ambulance rides
- Physical therapy
- Counseling
- Rehabilitation
- Occupational therapy
- Surgery
- Tests and exams
- Prescriptions
- Caregiver wages
- Medical equipment
- Insurance forms
- Lost wages verification
Did You Suffer Catastrophic Injuries in a NY Construction Accident?
The experienced litigators at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP will help you get the money you need after an accident. Our New York firm has won over a billion dollars in lawsuits and settlements for our clients.
The NYC personal injury attorneys at WRSMH have been awarded membership to the National Trial Lawyers Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. We have been recognized by New York Super Lawyers for our outstanding legal ability and service.
Call us at (212) 986-7353 to schedule a FREE consultation today.