If you’ve suffered an injury and believe you are entitled to compensation, then reaching out to a reputable law firm may be your best course of action. With a personal injury lawyer, you will have an advocate and guide to help you through the legal process, taking your case from the formative stages all the way to either settlement or trial result. Here’s what you should expect when you work with a personal injury lawyer.
What Kind of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Take?
There are a wide variety of lawyers in the country, most specializing in a specific type of law. A personal injury lawyer works in civil and tort law, where the legal system seeks justice in non-criminal cases that still result in some sort of harm. Situations involving medical malpractice, faulty product liability, or injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision are all commonly seen in personal injury cases.
They also extend to cases involving defamation, libel, and slander should the accused party cause harm to the plaintiff’s reputation that results in harm. If you have suffered physical, emotional, or mental harm, a personal injury lawyer can help you pursue compensation to help recover the damages.
They Will Help You Gather All the Facts
One of the first things that a personal injury lawyer will do is work with you to create a complete picture of your case. Let’s consider a car collision as an example. First, your lawyer will talk with you to lay out the narrative from your perspective. Where you were driving, how fast you were going, and what you were doing at the time of the collision all establish what exactly happened so you can make your case.
Then, they’ll work with you to gather evidence and information that helps further verify your account as well as the damages you’re seeking compensation for. Things like police reports, statements from any witnesses to the collision, and even surveillance footage if it happens to be available all help back up your account. When it comes to damages, your medical history and bills help prove to the court that what you end up asking for is in fact an appropriate response to any injuries you’ve suffered.
They Work to Find Weaknesses in Your Case
For anyone without a legal background, establishing the facts can be a more difficult process than imagined. It’s easy to think all you need to do is speak your peace and then let your personal injury lawyer do the rest of the work, but the reality of the matter is that proving the accuracy of your story is no small task.
Your lawyer will likely ask probing questions that may feel a bit more prying than you’re comfortable with or challenge elements of your story that you feel certain about. This isn’t to make you go on the defensive, but to prepare you for the high scrutiny of a court. It’s important to find any weaknesses in your case with your personal injury lawyer. Otherwise, the defense may be able to use them to their advantage.
They Help Go Over the Legal Details
A good personal injury lawyer isn’t just there to represent you in court, they’re also there to walk you through the dizzying complexities of the legal process at large. As part of trying to resolve your case with the most advantageous result, they will walk you through every step of the process so that you can fully understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Scouring documents, obtaining testimony, and filing legal briefs is a difficult and complicated process. With a personal injury lawyer, you’ll have not only an advocate but an ally who can shoulder a good deal of the work and help you make informed decisions.
They Will Pursue the Best Possible Outcome for You
When you’re seeking compensation for personal injury, you’re not just out to grab as much money as you can get. It isn’t about turning a profit. It’s about establishing some level of justice so that you can more easily recover from whatever injury you’ve sustained.
Let’s continue with our car collision example. Depending on the circumstances of the collision, the extent of the damage to your vehicle will vary. It may only suffer cosmetic damage, or it may be inoperable without significant repairs. A personal injury lawyer will help you obtain the funds necessary to cover the expenses that come along with car repairs or, if necessary, replacement. This goes for medical bills too. As anyone who’s had a trip to the hospital knows, an ER visit can be pricey. And that’s to say nothing of potential long-term or chronic injuries that you sustain, landing you with a recurring medical expense for an extended period of time.
Should you be unable to work as a result of the collision, whether due to injury or the loss of a vehicle, you may even be able to get money paid for lost wages. With all the data in front of you, your personal injury lawyer will be able to make an assessment of the extent of the damages, determining the compensation you’re fairly owed.
How You Can Help with Your Personal Injury Lawyer
Just because a personal injury lawyer will be doing a lot of the legal heavy lifting, that doesn’t mean you can sit back and let them do all the work. If you want to see a favorable outcome, you need to be the model client. Much like with your doctor, you need to be honest and truthful with your lawyer—even if it’s a bit uncomfortable. And speaking of your doctor, be sure to attend any and all medical appointments that you have after the incident. If you want your lawyer to prove you’re injured enough to need compensation, missing medical appointments will only make their job harder.
Finally, be committed to frequent and open communication. Work with your lawyer to have regular conversations about your case and reach out if any information comes to mind that may be relevant. For their part, your lawyer will keep you informed of any developments in your case, from initial settlement offers, up until the resolution of your claim.
