Accidents happen. Whether you slipped and fell on icy stairs as you went to the door or had some roof shingles blow off the house and hit you, you deserve to have your medical bills paid for. Most of the time, the owner of the house will have homeowner's liability insurance that will take care of everything. However, this does not mean that you should avoid hiring a personal-injury lawyer. To ensure that all your medical needs are paid for and that you are compensated for any time you missed at work, there are some things you should and should not do.

Seek Medical Attention

With any injury, the first step to documentation is to seek medical attention. Explain what happened to your doctor and have any suggested tests done. It is imperative that you follow any instructions you are given as far as medications, therapy, and rest are concerned. Do not go back to work before the time approved by the doctor.

Contact a Personal-Injury Lawyer

If possible, while you are waiting in the emergency room or urgent-care facility, contact a personal-injury lawyer. He or she will send someone out to take pictures of the scene of the accident and talk to any witnesses. If you wait to have this done, any evidence might be destroyed. Perhaps your friend cleared the ice off the stairs or picked up the shingles.

Talk About the Accident

While you will have to tell your boss the basics of what happened and will probably also need to tell your spouse, it is best if you can leave out details and just give a general idea. Do not talk to anyone else, including the insurance adjuster, about the issue until you have talked with your lawyer or until he or she can be present. The adjuster will try to get you to take a one-time settlement. This may not be enough to cover any future medical bills you incur due to the injury. Your friend may want to talk to you about this, but it is best if you avoid this. Explain that this is nothing against him or her, and do your best to maintain the friendship.

You should understand that if you were rough-housing, or if there was no way your friend could have foreseen danger and fixed it to avoid the accident, you may not be compensated as much as you think, if at all. However, the best way to increase what the insurance company will offer you and avoid going to court is by having a personal-injury attorney, such as one from Erickson Law Office, on your side.