Philadelphia Affordable Injury Attorney
QUESTIONS ANSWERED...

How do I find a good lawyer for personal injury?

Answer...

Soon after you find out your personal injury was a result of someone else’s negligence, you should be compensated for losses. The only obstacle is to find a qualified and experienced personal injury lawyer. While your search for legal help may be overwhelming, especially if you haven’t done it before, following the right steps will make the process easier.

-Ensure the lawyer has lots of previous experience.

-Get referrals from your friends or social circle.

-Look for proper accreditation and education.

-Get a free consultation.

-Beware of red flags.

-Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

(source Quora)

What does a personal injury lawyer do?

Answer...

A Personal injury lawyer is a civil litigator who will assess your case, calculate damages, and seek compensation from the liable party through negotiation. If negotiation fails, the PI lawyer will then file a lawsuit and represent you in the trial.

A personal injury case is a civil action – when a person or an organization is found to be legally responsible for causing your injuries including gross negligence, reckless conduct, or intentional misconduct and damages including psychological and physical harm, personal medical bill and diminishing quality of life, you have a right to claim compensation.

A personal injury may include everything from car accidents, truck accidents, aviation accidents, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, child daycare negligence, wrongful death cases, to other types of negligence cases. It also includes intentional tort where a person or an entity intentionally cause harm to you.

Responsibilities of a Personal Injury Lawyer

The responsibilities of a PI lawyer encompass a wide range of services. From fulfilling preliminary requirements such as investigating the case, calculating the damages, and noticing the liable party to final requirements such as filing a lawsuit and representing the client in the court of law.

Here is the list of responsibilities of a PI lawyer.

i. Answer all the questions

PI lawyer must answer all the questions of the client. A client will wish to know what recuperations they can receive if the case can be settled through negotiation, and the preparation if it goes to trial. Keeping in touch with the client and providing essential information about the development of the case is important.

ii. Research

After receiving the case the PI lawyer will investigate the accident and photograph the scene, locate and interview witnesses, review insurance policies, communicate with insurance companies, gather medical records, bills and lost wage information, hire expert witnesses. After all of this is done, they will negotiate a settlement or file a lawsuit and litigate the case to a conclusion.

Contact the Insurance Company

In almost every case, the liable party has purchased the insurance coverage for such unforeseen accidents and to prevent risking their personal assets. When it comes to injury or accidents, the insurance company will often try to deny responsibility for causing the accident or try to minimize compensation payments. The PI lawyer will make sure that the insurance company does not take unnecessary advantage and pay you full and fair compensation.

iii. Negotiation

PI lawyer will negotiate with the liable party on behalf of the client. They will negotiate for monetary compensation. The compensation will depend on the accident or injury caused.

Generally, they ask for an ideal amount of money, usually a high figure. The defendant may come back with a lowball offer, which is less in amount. Here begins the negotiation for the compensation. Each party will present their case to others and try to settle the case. Ideally, the two sides eventually come to a solid middle ground settlement that is acceptable to everyone involved.

iv. Filing a lawsuit

If the negotiation fails, the PI lawyer will file a suit against the liable party. Every state in the US has pretrial procedures, but it generally takes one to two years for a personal injury case to get to trial. PI lawyer must file the lawsuit within strict time limits.

v. Discovery Process

The discovery process is the procedure in which each party investigates what the adversary’s legal claims and defenses. They send interrogatories and document requests to each other, and take depositions of all of the relevant witnesses in the case, generally beginning with the plaintiff and defendant. This process can last six months to a year, depending on the court’s deadlines and the complexity of the case.

vi. Mediation or Negotiation

After the discovery period ends, the lawyers from both parties will generally start talking about settlement. If the settlement doesn’t go well, it will go to mediation. Mediation is a process in which both clients and lawyers go in front of a mediator to try to settle the case.

vii. Trial

Often mediation works, but, if it doesn’t work, the case is scheduled for trial. The PI lawyer will represent you during the trial. The trail schedule, date, or completion will entirely depend on the Judge’s schedule, state’s law and procedure etc.

What to look for in a Personal Injury Lawyer?

A good amount of research is essential to shortlist the right PI lawyer for your cause.

a. Specialization

You would want to hire a personal injury attorney, and the best one. Do not make a mistake of researching for lawyers specializing in areas other than personal injury.

b. Disciplined

Consider checking up with attorney disciplinary agency in your state or local bar association to confirm if your desired PI lawyer is a member in good standing of their state bar. You can easily find this information on the attorney online or bar association sites.

c. Experience

If the attorney has already handled a significant amount of personal injury cases, then that’s your pick. An experienced PI lawyer understands the prerequisites of investigating a claim, hence they’ll ensure that the settlement is reached at the quickest.

d. Reputation

A good reputation in previous dealings in the court and with insurance companies assure higher recovery. You can review their client’s testimonials to assess their reputation.

e. Pricing

The prices charged by attorneys may differ from case to case. Generally, an attorney will charge fees in three different ways.

(Source Quora)