A personal injury lawyer or a personal injury attorney is a professional that provides legal representation to those individuals who have been hurt due to an accident. A lawyer will work in intentional as well as negligent acts which have led to any damages to individuals. Experienced lawyers can help enhance the compensation amount for the accident victims and they strive to help victims in terms of legal representation in the court of law.
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Types of personal injury cases
A personal injury case involves a negligent act of others and this could include anything ranging from motorcycle accidents to truck accidents and automotive accidents. The lawyers can handle all types of cases and can also handle cases which involve negligent security, premises liability, animal bites, slip, and fall accident as well as attacks. In addition, the experts also handle cases that involve construction accidents, nursing home abuse, and medical malpractice. Individuals who have suffered an injury will be entitled to compensation for the damages that they have suffered and this could be emotional distress, medical expenses, a loss of income, loss of companionship, mental anguish, suffering, and pain.
What do personal injury lawyers do?
The action taken by a personal injury lawyer will depend on the type of accident or the case and their area of specialty. There are some activities which lawyers might do and this could help benefit your case.
Investigation of the claim
Most lawyers work for a contingency fee basis which means they only charge fees after securing the settlement or a verdict on the case. This is also a big reason why they take great care in screening the potential clients and evaluating the merits of the case. No lawyer would be keen on taking a case where he does not believe that the result will be positive for the client.
Collection of evidence
In order to support the claim of the plaintiff, the lawyer will have to gather evidence and this could be anything from procuring the police report to the medical reports. The lawyer might also have to take pictures of the damage caused to the vehicle due to an accident and he will track down witnesses and take their statements. Most lawyers like to retain the evidence for the case. Evidence could be in any form including employment documents, medical reports, bills, employment reports or reports of property damage.
Negotiation with the insurance company
A lot of us do not have the skills of negotiation and this is why we need personal injury lawyers. They will use their technical knowledge and professional skills to negotiate with the insurance company. For this, you need to provide them with the details of the policy and they will estimate the maximum amount of compensation that could be available to you based on the circumstances present. Justin Kimball from www.preszlerlaw-ns.com warns that your admission of fault can be used against you if another person involved in the accident issues a claim. Hence, you need to leave it up to the attorney to negotiate with the insurance company and to settle the claims. He will manage all the communication and will prevent you from doing anything that can jeopardize your claim.
Send demand letters
The lawyer will send a demand letter to your insurance company after a thorough examination of the claim. The letter will state details of the accident and will demand a specific amount for the damages for the injury which the defendant caused.
Prepare for pleadings
When an insurance company refuses to give you a fair settlement, you need to hire a personal injury lawyer who will prepare a complaint against the defendant and will set out the legal arguments with regard to why the defendant is responsible for this accident. It will also mention the extent of damages that the client is currently seeking.
Discovery
The lawyer of a plaintiff could initiate a discovery process which includes sending interrogatories to their defendant in order to ask for specific information and could also include witnesses, experts and deposing parties.
Representation of the client
When the case proceeds into a trial, the lawyer will provide representation in a court of law. Experienced lawyers are familiar with the customs as well as procedures and will ensure that the necessary steps are carefully followed right from filing the claim on time to submission of evidence.
If you or any of your friends have been a victim of an accident, it is advisable to hire a professional lawyer for the same. When you make a claim with an insurance company, the company will try to minimize the settlement amount as much as they can. This is where the personal injury lawyer will make all the difference. He will help you level the playing ground since the other side will also have a lawyer representing them. A lawyer will be able to track important witnesses and can provide the right assistance when needed.
You need to scout the market for a lawyer who has experience in the industry and who has represented similar cases in the past. You could ask for recommendations from friends and family or you might want to research on the internet for the same. Meet the lawyer in person first and then decide if he is the right person to represent you in the court of law. With the right professional by your side, you can be rest assured that the compensation amount will be maximum and you will be able to recover the damages as far as possible. A personal injury lawyer will listen to the entire incident that you narrate to them and will advise you on how to go about it. He will tell you the best way the case can be resolved and will also help you gather evidence in order to get a higher settlement amount. There are certain things you should not do after an accident and only a professional lawyer will advise you about the same.
