At what point do you know if you need to hire a personal injury attorney to represent you during a claim? Does this mean you are headed to court with your lawsuit? Not necessarily. A personal injury attorney’s number one purpose is to educate you about your legal rights, the legal basis of your claim and the damages you may be compensated for. Your attorney will advise you about what to expect throughout the process, communicate important information to you in a timely manner, represent you aggressively, and serve as your greatest advocate- at all times; even in the court system if that is where the case lands.
Understanding some of the specific duties of a personal injury lawyer can help you stay focused where you should be throughout a lawsuit. If you have brought a personal injury attorney on board to assist you or you are considering hiring an attorney, the following steps should reassure you are making a wise decision.
Duties of Your Personal Injury Attorney:
- Collect Information: Your personal injury attorney will gather all necessary information regarding the claim to include police reports, employment records, medical records, eye witness accounts, and other useful information that may be critical to the case.
- Stay on Top of Investigation: Throughout the claim, it will be important to continue to gather photographs, documents, illustrations, witness statements and physical evidence. New eye witnesses and evidence through avenues such as social media and Google Street Views, etc. often appear throughout the process and the personal injury attorney will stay on top of this information.
- Determine Insurance Coverage On Both Sides: Your personal injury attorney may help you determine what your own insurance coverage availability is as well as determine what coverage the other party has. Determining the amount of available insurance for the other party involved in the lawsuit is important to know at very the beginning of a claim. You do not want to get into a situation where you generate very high medical bills and there is not enough insurance coverage to pay for them. Your personal injury attorney acts as your spokesperson with the insurance agencies.
- Interviewer: Your personal injury lawyer will interview healthcare providers, physicians, experts; it is their duty to generate all expert reports pertaining to your case and utilize them towards a settlement or towards the filing.
- File: If your attorney is unable to obtain a fair settlement with the insurance company through negotiations, he or she will file a lawsuit and/or demand arbitration; he or she will continue conversations with all parties involved regarding negotiations and possible settlement options, and ultimately your personal injury attorney will represent you in court if a settlement is not reached.The defendants brought into the case typically have thirty days from the time they are served to file their response to the lawsuit. After the defendants have filed their responses, then the discovery proceedings are started, which may include depositions of parties, witnesses and experts. Your personal injury lawyer will assist and instruct you every step of the way and may utilize the same discovery devices to substantiate your claim. After the discovery proceedings are completed, a trial date is requested and set at the mercy of the courts.
- Represent: Your attorney will prepare you for trial and will represent you and your case to the best of their ability seeking justice for you and everyone involved in your case.
One of the main responsibilities of a personal injury lawyer is to seek justice for all the damages that their clients sustained. They help their clients to seek the compensation they deserve for their losses and suffering. Your lawyer will be the consistent voice for you throughout the entire lawsuit. David & Philpot, P.L. has been representing personal injury claims for over 20 years. We’ve recovered millions of dollars for our clients and are here to help you. Contact us today at 800.360.7015 for a free consultation.
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