When you’ve suffered a personal injury it’s natural to seek the help of a personal injury lawyer. A lawyer can help you win compensation following the injury you’ve suffered. But what exactly will your personal injury lawyer do? Below, we explore the process your lawyer will undertake during the claim.
Investigation
Usually, your case will be accepted on a no-win, no-fee basis meaning that you won’t be liable to pay any upfront costs. Once this is agreed upon, your lawyer will get to work on your case. This begins with investigation work. Your lawyer will research and gather all the available information surrounding the extent of your injury and whose fault it might have been. This includes your medical bills and medical treatment history for a start. But on top of this, your lawyer will investigate police reports, surveillance footage, and any evidence when assessing blame.
Advises you
The process involves you too, though. Your personal injury lawyer should be able to walk you through the complex process in understandable language. When you’ve suffered a personal injury, it can be a deeply stressful time – your lawyer should be able to give you advice and ease any concerns about your claim.
Litigation process
Once the investigation stage is finished, your lawyer will begin the litigation process. This begins with your lawyer filing your complaint: this is comprised of your arguments for compensation, the facts that support this, and the relief you’re seeking. The defendant will then file a response, which acts as an answer to your complaint. From here, the two legal teams will exchange documents and the case can go one of two ways. Usually, an out-of-court settlement will be reached to the satisfaction of both parties. But sometimes, it’ll progress to a court case at this point.
Legal recovery
If you settle on compensation prior to court, or if you win compensation during the court case, your lawyer will then attempt to recover the relief. This will either involve liaising with insurance companies or simply making arrangements with the defendant. Finally, your lawyer will present you with a release form where you agree to drop the case in return for compensation.
Personal injury cases can be complex. But with the help of a trusted, experienced lawyer, you should be able to calmly go through the legal process and win the compensation you deserve.