Will My Personal Injury Claim Be Different During the COVID-19 Emergency?

If you were injured in an accident prior to the coronavirus stay-at-home order, or if you suffered injuries in an accident while heading to an essential job or to buy groceries, it is important to know that you can still be eligible to file a personal injury claim. Just because many businesses in the Richmond area and throughout the state of Virginia have closed does not mean that you should have to pay the price for someone else’s negligence or carelessness. However, it is also important to know that some aspects of your personal injury claim may be a bit different during the coronavirus pandemic. We want to tell you more about issues pertaining to the COVID-19 that may affect certain aspects of your personal injury case but will not prevent you from seeking the compensation you need and deserve.

Working with Your Attorney Virtually

One aspect of your personal injury case that will change in the short term pertains to how you will meet with your Virginia personal injury attorney. Under normal circumstances, an injured plaintiff will typically make an in-person appointment to meet with a lawyer to start the claims process, after which point the plaintiff and attorney will schedule in-person meetings to work on the case. Given the limitations of the pandemic and the significant health concerns, in-person meetings are not feasible.

Yet you should not worry. You can meet effectively with your attorney virtually, scheduling phone calls and Zoom meetings from the safety of your own home. The dedicated Virginia personal injury attorneys at our firm are fully prepared to work with you in a virtual capacity and to ensure that your personal injury claim is filed in an effective and timely manner.

Court Closures for Non-Essential Matters

Courtrooms across the state of Virginia have closed for all matters that are non-essential, or that are not deemed emergencies. What does this mean for your personal injury case? First and perhaps most obviously, you should not go to a courthouse in person. Any hearings that have been scheduled in your case will be rescheduled for a future date, which your attorney can discuss with you in more detail.

However, just because courts are closed does not mean that you cannot get to work on your personal injury lawsuit. Whether you were injured in a motor vehicle crash or suffered harm because of a defective product, one of the experienced lawyers at our firm can help you seek financial compensation.

Difficulty Seeking a Medical Assessment

After a serious injury, it is important to seek medical treatment in order to get an assessment from a healthcare provider. However, when a person suffers a serious injury during a pandemic, obtaining medical treatment can be much more complicated. For example, if the injured person has an underlying medical condition that puts him or her at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with a COVID-19 infection, going to a healthcare provider’s office—or worse, an emergency department—could result in unnecessary exposure to the coronavirus.

Even if you do go to a walk-in facility or an emergency department for a medical assessment, many healthcare providers are focused on COVID-19 patients, and your visit with a doctor may be delayed. In some cases, it may be possible to use telemedicine to speak with a healthcare provider about your options for having a proper medical assessment.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Richmond, VA

If you have questions about filing a personal injury claim during the coronavirus pandemic, you should begin working with an experienced Richmond personal injury attorney as soon as possible. A dedicated lawyer at our firm can begin working with you today on your case. Contact The Johnson Injury Firm for more information and to find out more about speaking with one of our personal injury lawyers.