Pursuing a personal injury claim is often daunting for most people since they have never been in a lawsuit. The possibility of a lawsuit resulting in a trail is very low therefore the process should be stress-free. From consultations with attorney to case resolution, the various steps involved in a personal injury lawsuit have been discussed in detail below:

Scheduling a meeting with personal injury lawyer

If someone else’s carelessness or gross negligence got you into trouble, you might want to contact an attorney to find out whether your claim is valid. That is of course after you’ve taken of your injuries. This might require keeping necessary medical records or other supporting documentation. In addition, lookout for personal injury attorneys that provides free consultation as well.

Evaluating the lawyer

Track record and expertise of the attorney in handling your type of case is necessary before hire him to take care of the case.  If the attorney is making promises about how much money you can receive which seems too good to be true, be wary of him. A professional with good experience still needs time to analyze and evaluate all the nitty gritty of the case, which also entails collecting witness accounts.

Understanding the payment method and hiring a personal injury attorney

The entire procedure comes down to whether or not you can afford the attorney. Most personal injury lawyers are paid on contingency basis which means that they are not made complete payment until you are. Before signing a client contract with an exact attorney fee mentioned on it, ensure to clarify all your related queries.

Settle your case before filing a lawsuit

The extent to which your injuries caused damage and how much would these cost would have been investigated fully until this stage by your attorney. Most cases are settled before you need to file a lawsuit. The negotiation between your attorney and the insurance company may result in a monetary offer from the insurance company. If the offer is acceptable, your attorney will acquaint you about it.

File the suit in court

If both parties are unable to agree on an adequate settlement, the attorney will then file a suit on your behalf. This can take from several months to several years, depending upon a deadline assigned by the judge.

Go to mediation

During the court case, you still have an option to go for alternative case resolution via a process called mediation. A neutral mediator is assigned between the two parties who acts as a referee. He is responsible for making settlement negotiation. The process of mediation can wither be accepted or rejected.

Go to trial

After the presentation of the argument of both sides, the judge decides whether the defendant to pay you or not, and if so, how much amount of damage is to be paid.

Post-trial

In case, an appeal is filed against the verdict of the judge, you still have some pursuing to do. Also, your attorney must pay the lien before you get paid by your defendant.

 

Dealing with a personal injury case isn’t a pleasant experience. If you or someone you know is going through this hard time, call Earl Jiang at 866-263-7866 without further delay or send a contact email at Earljiang.