You should be very cautious. The first offer is often a low initial figure designed to close your case quickly and cheaply. Once you accept a settlement, you sign away your right to seek any further money, even if hidden injuries surface later. Do not accept any offer until you have reached maximum medical improvement and understand the full extent of your losses, including future medical needs and income impact. It is highly advisable to have a legal professional review any offer before you agree to ensure it fairly covers all your damages.

Preserve the original digital files exactly as they came from your camera or phone. Do not delete them. Create a dedicated folder on your computer or cloud storage and make backups. Within the folder, you can create subfolders by category (e.g., “Scene,“ “Injury,“ “Property Damage”). A simple text document noting the date, time, location, and a brief description of what each photo shows will help you stay organized when you need to present the evidence later.

In most states, you can still recover compensation even if you were partially to blame, but your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault. This is called “comparative negligence.“ For example, if you are found 20% at fault and your total damages are $100,000, you would receive $80,000. An attorney can argue to minimize your assigned fault percentage. A few states bar recovery if you are 50% or 51% at fault, so local laws are critical.