What Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Do for Me?
Michael Babboni
Personal Injury
Personal injury refers to any physical injury that is inflicted on a person’s body, mind, or emotions, as opposed to any damage that may be inflicted on a person’s property or reputation.Personal injury covers a wide variety of events such as slip and falls, dog bites, pedestrian and bicyclist accidents, car accidents, and boating accidents to just name a few.
The Basics of Personal Injury
Personal injury encompasses a portion of the law that states that you may be able to receive compensation for any losses or injuries sustained from an accident that are due to another person’s careless or negligent behavior.
One of the most common cases of personal injury would be due to a car accident. Negligence is the base for most personal injury cases. In a car accident, you will have a negligence claim when the other driver failed to provide reasonable care and attention while on the road.
The Various Stages of a Personal Injury Case
Following the accident, you should immediately seek the counsel of a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney. When you meet with the attorney, you will have the opportunity to provide them with all the details and necessary information regarding the case, so they can give you a better idea of what you can expect during the process. They will also let you know if the case is substantial enough to take or if it would not be worth your time.
Next, the attorney will be able to explain each step of the process with you from start to finish and will then answer any questions you may have and will be able to address any concerns. You will then move into the discovery phase of the process.
The discovery phase of a personal injury case is when all the proper information is gathered, and all the documentation is put in order. To establish a concrete case, it is important to provide as much detail, information, and evidence as possible to help build your case. Police reports, medical records, witness statements, photographs, and anything else like that would be positive in building the evidence for your case.
It is important that you remain honest and truthful with your attorney during each phase of the process, so they can better help you achieve the results you want.
The Settlement Process
A majority of personal injury cases may be settled out of court. The settlement would be negotiated between all involved parties and the compensation will then be awarded as agreed upon.
Your personal injury attorney will be able to ensure that you are receiving fair compensation for your injuries and will not allow you to be undercut by the insurance adjusters or company.
The Benefits of Personal Injury Attorneys
Hiring a personal injury attorney can greatly benefit you and your claim because an attorney will be able to give a precise prediction as to how much your claim may be actually worth. They will be able to determine how much they feel you would get in a settlement and will be able to better assess the case and the injuries to determine any other leverage that may be needed to win the case.
An attorney is also knowledgeable about the legal process and will know which documents and forms are needed and they can help you properly fill out and file paperwork.
A personal injury attorney is usually motivated to help you succeed as well because a lot of them are working on a contingency basis. This means that they do not benefit or gain from the claim if you do not collect a settlement. They will be motivated to help you achieve the highest settlement possible.
Finally, if something goes wrong and the case is a bit more complex than previously thought, an attorney can help you if your case ends up going to trial. Having a personal injury attorney represent you will help protect your rights and ensure that you are being treated as fairly as possible.