If you've just been in an accident and you're considering filing a personal injury lawsuit, you may be wondering if you need a personal injury attorney.
And if you do need one, you might be wondering how exactly they will help with the legal process.
After being involved in an accident, many people hesitate to contact an attorney.
However, there are many undeniable benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer, whether you've been injured or not.
In the article below, we will discuss how accident lawyers can help with your personal injury claim.
It's all fine and good to know what a personal injury lawyer does, but do you even need one in the first place?
Read our blog post: Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Car Accident?
Table Of Contents
- What Is Personal Injury Law?
- What Types of Cases Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Handle?
- A Personal Injury Lawyer Will Protect Your Rights
- Your Injury Lawyer Will Help Establish Fault
- Your Attorney Will Investigate Your Case
- Damages A Personal Injury Attorney Will Fight For
- Negotiating With The Insurance Company
- Get the Highest Quality Local Injury Attorney For Your Auto Accident Case
What Is Personal Injury Law?
Personal injury law protects people or their property from injury or damages and allows you to take action when a reckless or negligent party causes you harm.
After being injured in an accident, you can ask for fair compensation from the at-fault party or their insurance company.
Your personal injury lawyer provides legal representation for anyone injured by someone else's careless actions.
After your accident, your attorney will interview witnesses, collect evidence, negotiate a settlement agreement, and demand maximum compensation for your losses.
Personal injury lawyers offer representation to clients on a contingency fee basis.
That means you don't pay them anything unless they win your personal injury lawsuit or claim, so there is no risk to you.
What Types of Cases Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Handle?
Personal injury attorneys handle civil lawsuits and legal claims that involve negligence.
Negligence is when involved parties fail to exhibit reasonable care that prevents others from harm.
Common cases involving negligence a personal injury lawyer may handle include:
- Car accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Defective product accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Workplace injury and construction accidents
- Slip and fall accidents (premises liability)
- Medical malpractice
- Rideshare accidents
- Wrongful death claims
- Nursing home abuse
- Product liability accidents
- Accidents causing catastrophic injuries
While investigating these accidents, your attorney will collect evidence to prove your losses and seek financial compensation in the form of damages.
Your attorney becomes a trusted partner you can rely on throughout the legal process and your personal injury claim.
A Personal Injury Lawyer Will Protect Your Rights
When you're injured in a traumatic accident, you need to concentrate on your recovery.
You will be focused on emergency medical care, doctors, nurses, medications, surgical interventions, and therapeutic treatments.
You will likely be under emotional distress as well.
This is why you need the help of experienced personal injury law firms.
Your attorney will establish a barrier between you and all of the people who would disrupt your peace of mind during your recovery.
Many accident victims think they can handle everything on their own, but there is too much at stake to try and handle a personal injury lawsuit without the help of legal professionals.
Even the smallest mistakes can put you on the hook for all of your medical expenses and other damages.
A personal injury attorney remains vigilant when you decide you want his representation until you execute any final settlement documents against the liable party.
Your Injury Lawyer Will Help Establish Fault
Even when liability seems pretty straightforward, the negligent party may still try to blame you for the accident.
When this happens, your injury lawyer will fight to prove your innocence.
To do this, they will gather an abundance of evidence to prove your injuries resulted from someone else's negligent actions.
For example, in a car wreck, your experienced attorney will use the discovery process to gather police records, photos of the accident, the official accident report, medical records, and eyewitness testimony to prove you deserve fair resolution for damages for pain.
If someone else was at fault for your injuries because of negligence, you have to prove that you have a valid claim and that the responsible party's negligence caused your injuries and losses.
And if you were partially at fault for the accident, you should definitely seek the counsel of an accident attorney.
Your Attorney Will Investigate Your Case
Establishing fault requires a thorough investigation of the accident scene.
Your personal injury attorney will investigate your case, which may involve hiring expert witnesses and collecting all available evidence.
When a lawyer investigates your case, they will:
- Interview witnesses
- Obtain scene photos, videos, and diagrams
- Obtain police reports and employer records
- Document adverse conditions at premises injury sites. If no pictures or videos exist, the lawyer may have someone go out to the accident site to take pictures of evidence left on the ground, such as skid marks, vehicle parts, and other evidence that cannot be picked up.
The investigation should provide the evidence your attorney needs as they determine fault.
Your lawyer will also collect the medical records and medical bills during the legal process.
If an underlying condition causes your injuries to heal slowly, your attorney may need records regarding your underlying illnesses.
They will use those records to show that recovery will not be typical for you and the injuries you sustained in the accident exacerbated your underlying condition.
Damages A Personal Injury Attorney Will Fight For
The journey through personal injury litigation is fraught with emotional and financial challenges. Personal injury attorneys are dedicated advocates who stand with individuals and families after an accident, guiding them through the legal process to secure rightful compensation.
Recognizing the various types of claimable damages can empower those affected to pursue the full compensation they deserve.
Economic Damages
Economic damages represent the calculable financial losses that arise from an injury. A personal injury attorney will meticulously account for:
- Medical Expenses: Injuries often result in substantial medical costs, from emergency care to rehabilitation. These expenses can escalate quickly, particularly with long-term hospitalization or specialized treatment. Your lawyer will work with medical professionals to cover your medical bills.
- Property Damages: The costs to replace your damaged property (your vehicle, personal belongings, etc.) are recoverable as monetary damages.
- Loss of Income: If the injured party was a significant contributor to their household's income, the loss of their earnings and future benefits is a calculable economic damage.
- Funeral Costs: In the tragic event that injuries lead to loss of life, the costs for funeral services and associated expenses are recoverable as economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
These damages are less tangible and do not have a predetermined monetary value, yet they are profoundly impactful:
- Pain and Suffering: This encompasses the physical pain and emotional distress endured due to the injury. Loss of enjoyment of life is often included in pain and suffering.
- Loss of Companionship: The emotional void left by the injured or deceased can be profound, affecting the well-being of family members.
- Loss of Consortium: This refers to the loss of the familial relationship's benefits, including companionship and intimacy.
An experienced personal injury attorney is adept at quantifying these non-economic damages, advocating for just compensation that reflects the true extent of the loss.
Punitive Damages
While not standard in all personal injury cases, punitive damages may be pursued if the responsible party's actions were particularly willful or egregious.
These damages are a financial penalty aimed at punishing the negligent party and deterring future misconduct.
Negotiating With The Insurance Company
Insurance adjusters are notoriously challenging to work with.
Your adjuster will have the best interest of the insurance company in mind, not yours.
An experienced attorney skilled in the art of persuasion and negotiation can help fight for fair compensation for your injuries.
If you suffered significant financial losses after your accident, you need an attorney with extensive experience who will help you get the financial settlement that you deserve.
Injury victims deserve a fair settlement, but the insurance adjuster's definition of "fair settlement" seldom matches yours.
An insurance adjuster will almost certainly have the advantage over you if you don't work with an attorney.
They have extensive knowledge handling insurance claims will try to convince you to accept a low-ball offer.
An experienced attorney will take legal action and level the playing field with effective negotiation to prove your loss of quality of life.
Get the Highest Quality Local Injury Attorney For Your Auto Accident Case
If you've recently been involved in a car accident, you need the help of expert legal professionals to protect your physical and financial recovery.
Our medical professionals have built excellent relationships with the top personal injury lawyers in your area.
These injury attorneys deal exclusively with motor vehicle accident injuries and will work closely with you throughout your legal claim so you receive maximum compensation.
Our clients will have personalized attention from an advocate and have confidence knowing an entire legal team will back them during this challenging time.
If you were involved in an accident and need help with the claims process, hiring skilled negotiators from a personal injury accident law firm is always in your best interest.
When you contact Car Wreck Doctor, we will provide you with a free injury consultation with a medical professional near you, at which point we can also provide you with a referral to an expert attorney who will take legal action and help you receive rightful compensation for your losses.
You don't have to go through this difficult time alone.
Click on the link below to schedule your free injury consultation today.
References:
https://www.dandalaw.com/blog/personal-injury-lawyer-what-does-a-lawyer-do/
https://www.dolmanlaw.com/blog/what-does-a-personal-injury-lawyer-do/
https://bruscatolaw.com/blog/is-it-worth-hiring-a-personal-injury-attorney/