People often are reluctant to bring in injury claims unless they're sure they're standing on solid legal ground. However, it can be a mistake to delay the process so you should approach the situation like there's a case to be made. A personal injury attorney will tell anyone who thinks there's even a remote chance they have a case to do these four things.

Proceed Like You Have a Case

More than anything, operate under the assumption that you're building an injury claim. It is easy to hang up your effort once you're sure there isn't a case. You will likely have a lot of trouble if you don't start a case and then figure out you need to.

Suppose you were involved in an accident and nothing appeared to be wrong at the time. Weeks later, though, you begin to experience neck pains and headaches. If you didn't go to a doctor for an exam immediately after the incident, it could be much harder to prove that whatever happened was the cause. Consequently, you should assume from the start that you have a case.

Seek Counsel

Ask about the representation of a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. It isn't hard to find lawyers who offer low-cost or even free consultations. You can tell an attorney what happened and learn whether they believe you might have a case. Likewise, you can get a feel for which law firms are more interested in your case by talking with folks from several offices. It is better to find counsel early than to try to assemble a legal case down the road.

Make Contemporaneous Notes

The world moves on from accidents much faster than you'd expect. Try to put down as many notes about what happened as soon as you have time. Once you come back from the hospital and have a few moments to breathe and think, get a legal pad and write down the basics of the incident. Make notes about when and where it happened, who was there, and what the sequence of events was.

Do not pressure yourself to get it perfect. Especially if you've had a head, nerve, or spinal injury, concentrating may not be easy. Just try to recall what you can. Leave question marks wherever you might be drawing a blank.

Collect Documents

From the time of an accident, lots of parties will send you documents. Police or other first responders may provide reports. Doctors and insurers will send reports and bills. Some businesses even have incident reporting systems. Collect everything, make copies, and bring the copies to a personal injury lawyer.