You could injure yourself almost anywhere, in the office, on the road, while on holiday or in your house. Road accidents, sporting mishaps, malfunctioning machines or medical abuse are different ways in which you may suffer injuries.

If you have suffered in an accident due to another person's fault, you can claim personal injury compensation. Remember however, the insurance company will look out for every opportunity to contradict your claim and reduce their liability. These are five steps to help you file a claim that your insurance company won't be able to find fault with:

1. Ensure that the claim is timely. The law provides a time limit within which personal injury claims have to be filed following an accident. Filing a claim after this time has passed will make it time-barred and cause it to be rejected. However, this is not a hard and fast rule; delay due to a valid reason may be excused.

2. Submit complete medical records. Your compensation will depend on the nature and extent of your injury. Proper documentation of the injury by a qualified doctor will be necessary for claiming compensation. Be sure to have a doctor examine you and give you a certificate, as soon as possible after the accident.

3. Attach the police report. In many personal injury cases, important evidence may be found in the official police report. It is important that you obtain and attach a copy of the police report to your personal injury claim.

4. Arrange for eyewitnesses. To get your claim accepted, you need to prove that you suffered the injury because of someone else's fault. Eyewitness accounts that corroborate your story constitute important evidence. It helps to contact eyewitnesses who may be willing to give their statements.

5. Hire a legal counsel. However perfect your claim, the insurance company will always try to find legal loopholes to escape liability. You can improve your chances of winning full personal injury compensation by hiring the services of a competent lawyer.