Since personal injury cases vary from situation to situation, there is no particular way to handle a given case. However, if you are subjected to severe injuries due to someone’s negligence, it is advisable to claim your compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
Your lawyer will advise you on the best steps to take in your circumstance and support you to ensure that the outcome is fair and worth it. You might be involved in an accident at least once in your lifetime. Therefore, it will be sensible to be aware of the procedure that occurs during a claim.
Do You Need a Personal Injury Claim Checklist?
It is important to know what you need for a successful lawsuit. A personal injury law firm will provide you a way to get the right amount of compensation. The lawyer already knows what is needed. They will help compile the police reports, medical reports, photos, receipts, and medical bills into your legal file. Ensure that you always keep the papers safe, as they will come in handy when your legal representative presents your case against the defendant.
Steps to a Personal Injury Case
1. Consult an Attorney
An experienced attorney will give you an idea of what you are supposed to expect from the claim. The firm will let you know what needs to be done immediately for better results. Don’t struggle to do it all alone. Bring along a statement to explain what transpired to cause the accident. Carry any evidence available to help the attorney know what they are dealing with and enable a proper calculation of the liabilities.
2. Filing a Complaint
Document your injury complaint and hand it over for a legal procedure. A lawyer can help you through this. Ensure it contains all the parties involved and the facts that are related to the claims. Consider incorporating a section to communicate your desire for the case’s outcome. Eventually, let the defendant know that you will sue them for the damages incurred.
3. Investigating the Accident
From the shreds of evidence you gathered, the lawyer will want to understand what happened to cause the accident while fully maximizing all the available attestations. The attorney might want to contact the witnesses for a different point of view from a first-hand source. If the footage is available, they will track it down in the accident’s time for an up-close type of evidence.
4. Claim for Compensation
The attorney will work with you to file for compensation demand from the defendant’s insurance company. A broad accounting in the claim will be in your favor for a better resolution of the claim.
5. Negotiation
The insurance company is likely to throw in the bare minimum into the negotiation. Please do not settle for the first offer as it is the least they have to offer. The attorney will take a careful look at the amount and review it to be in line with the losses you have undergone.
Sometimes, the back and forth process might take longer than expected, but with an attorney’s help, you can be confident that you will reach a reasonable agreement. However, if the insurance company fails to reach an agreement, you can proceed to court.
What Is the Average Time to Settle a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
The settlement can take at least two weeks, but sometimes the case can run for a couple of years. The main determinant is if the insurance company is willing to pay the amount they have been asked to compensate. In the case of personal injury, contact a lawyer as soon as possible to start working on the case.