This content written for Willhoite Law, PLLC.
Too often people multitask behind the wheel while commuting. The seconds the driver takes off his eyes of the road, there’s the risk for causing a personal injury accident. Distracted driving can include texting, talking on the phone, putting make-up on, playing with auto controls, interacting with pets and drinking, eating or smoking.
When should you contact a personal injury lawyer? If you or a family member has been involved in an auto accident causing financial loss and personal injuries, then a lawyer is the best solution for you. Finding the right attorney for you is key for a winning case.
One of the first annoyances after an accident can be the constant contact from insurance companies. You will be constantly contacted by the other party’s insurance company. Even though the victim can file his own claim, it is recommended to hire a personal injury lawyer for your best interest and avoid getting the insurance claim denied.
A lawyer will help the client file insurance claims and guide them through the case. If the other person involved is at-fault, or partially at fault, in the accident, then your personal injury lawyer will pursue compensation. As an attorney and counselor of law, you will be advised on when to give a statement and when to not give a statement, when and how to file evidence for the automobile accident and represent you in court if necessary. The attorney will advise in gathering the necessary evidence such as witnesses, police reports, medical records, damages occurred and expert witnesses.
There are several factors that determine the victim’s possible claim value. These include impact of injury and repercussions in your life, the severity of injuries, type of accident, wages lost during injury recovery and medical treatments (if applicable). An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you assess your claim value.
When dealing with a personal injury and its repercussions, it’s important to remember every state has its own rules and regulations. The victim not only has to document and gather all evidence, but he or she must do so within every state’s deadline. This is referred to the Statute of Limitations. Hiring your representative can help victims to comply with all case and claim requirements in a timely matter.
Does the attorney you are considering hiring have the experience to help you through your case and your claim? Not only for auto accidents but for also other injury cases including traumatic brain injuries, slip and fail injuries, injury from defective products and others related. Other personal injury cases can also be involved with pedestrian accidents. Even when cautious pedestrians rightfully cross the street, there are still cases involving drunk drivers or reckless drivers. An injury resulting from pedestrian crossing can be fatal since the individual absorbs all the impact from collision.
In addition, motorcycles accidents don’t provide any protecting to the driver either. A lawyer will be sure to evaluate and secure maximum compensation for your case. Don’t let the negligence of other drivers or employers to cause you long term financial loss or health complications.
The first step to get your case opened is to schedule a consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney. The attorney will require information such as parties involved, insurance coverage, type of accident, and details of the event. Then the lawyer will review the potential case. In the event of a possible case, a retainer is commonly required for an attorney to proceed. After fees and costs are discussed with your lawyer, the discovery phase will begin. During this phase, the attorney will handle written documentation and production, as well as depositions. The purpose of the discovery phase is to gather all the facts and create necessary documents that belong to the case.
The last steps during the case can result or include settlement. An experienced personal injury lawyer will weight in in all the factors to maximize any settlement agreements. A settlement will usually result in resolution of the case without having to pursue any further legal action. When determining if a settlement is the right course of action for the client, the attorney will consider things such as changes of winning the case if trial is necessary; what culprit’s insurance policy claim limit is; expenses involved in legal actions and length of case.
Your chosen lawyer will relentlessly pursue justice and favorable outcomes on your behalf. He or he will always keep you informed about the status of your case and his or her mission should be to make the experience less overwhelming for you and your loved ones.
When looking for a law firm, you want to ask questions such as: what is their level of experience with this type of case? what chances does the case have of wining? what is an estimate on how much compensation I can receive? how much will the lawyer’s representation cost? how soon can the lawyer start working on the case? Do they know their state’s regulations and its statute of limitations?
One of the most important things to remember is if you lose your case, then you need to know who is going to be responsible for the case costs. You should also find out who is going to be responsible for advancing the costs of your case. In order to best present your case there may have to be thousands of dollars spent on court costs, do not shy away from court costs to have the best winning chance.
Even if your case is ready for settlement, your personal injury attorney should not be afraid to go to trial and defend your case for your best interest. To find the best personal injury attorney, ask friends and family for referrals and research for online reviews based on their cases. Remember transparency will only increase your chances at winning your case in trial and ensuring you receive the compensation claimed. Listen to your gut when hiring a personal injury attorney and pick an attorney that tailors to your needs and is genuinely concerned on your behalf.