What can I expect during my Personal Injury Case?

Your personal injury claim started the moment that the accident happened or that you discovered your injuries. If you have been hurt by another person or entity‘s negligence, then you may be wondering what will happen next and who will compensate for your injury-related expenses. 

The most crucial step is finding and hiring a personal injury attorney who will file your lawsuit, gather evidence on your behalf, attempt to settle with the liable party’s insurance company, and, if necessary, go to trial and fight for you. Although there is a general path toward getting a settlement, each case is different and may take longer than others. Knowing how your claim will develop could help you feel more confident and calm during an undoubtedly stressful time.

Provide Documents To Your Lawyer

Your attorney will call expert witnesses and collect your medical information. An expert witness is a notable professional in the field of medicine, accident reconstruction, engineering, or another related field who can bolster your attorney’s arguments by explaining how an accident happened or an injury occurred. Your attorney will also contact witnesses and ask them to give sworn testimony about what they saw and heard. You must have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), which is the condition when your injury has healed as much as possible before filing your claim. At that time, your attorney can then calculate your total medical expenses.

Once all of this information is gathered, your attorney will send the insurance company a demand letter explaining why their policyholder is liable. The insurance company must pay damages to the plaintiff and in what amount.

You can facilitate this process by providing the following documents to your personal injury attorney at your initial consultation:

• An incident report or, for car accidents, the police report from the responding officers that arrived at the scene of the accident
• Your personal account and timeline of what happened during your accident, including what was said by each party
• Photos from the scene of the accident
• Any receipts for services, repairs, or replacements related to your injury, including childcare services or car repairs
• Your medical records

Your Attorney Will Try To Settle

The insurance company has 30 days to respond to your attorney’s demand letter. The insurance company will respond with a settlement offer that you and your attorney will either agree or disagree on. If you accept the insurance company’s offer, you will receive a check, and your case will be finished. However, if you or your attorney disagree on the amount, your attorney will fight on your behalf for a higher settlement through negotiation. You may or may not participate in the formal dispute process called mediation. 

Most personal injury attorneys try to spare their clients from having to endure the stress and wait for the conclusion of a lengthy trial. Your attorney will fight to settle for the maximum compensation you deserve, but if an agreement cannot be reached, then the case will go to trial. 

Your Attorney Will Fight For Maximum Compensation

An attorney with years of experience can help you recover your financial losses. They can also advise you on how much your case is worth. See here to learn more about how much you can receive.