If you have been seriously injured in an accident, it is important to seek legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer. From collecting evidence at the scene to calculating a fair settlement, and from dealing with the insurance companies to taking your case to trial, securing compensation after an accident is a complicated legal process, and maximizing your financial recovery requires experienced representation.
If you have decided to talk to a personal injury attorney, you have already taken the first step on your road to recovery. Here is what you can expect the rest of the way:
1. Initial Consultation
The first time you meet with your attorney will be during your initial consultation. This consultation should be free, and it should be scheduled as soon as possible after your accident. During your initial consultation, your attorney should ask lots of questions about what happened, and he or she should be more than happy to answer your questions as well.
2. Investigation
Once you meet with your lawyer, then he or she may dispatch investigators, accident reconstructionists or other experts to conduct an investigation at the scene of the accident. The goals of this investigation are to (i) determine exactly what happened, and (ii) collect any available information or evidence that will support your claim for compensation.
3. Evidence Collection
In addition to evidence from the scene of the accident, your attorney will need to collect various other forms of evidence as well. Much of this evidence will come from you. For example, your medical records, invoices and receipts for injury-related expenses, and pay stubs showing paid time off or unpaid leave will all be key to establishing your claim for compensation. Your attorney may ask you to visit certain doctors and take other steps to help your claim, and he or she may also seek to collect evidence from the at-fault party through the legal process known as “discovery.”
4. Settlement Negotiations
Whether you were injured in a vehicle collision, fall or other type of accident, your case will likely involve a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company. Most insurance claims settle, and your attorney will use the evidence collected during your case to negotiate for a settlement that provides full and fair compensation for your current and future losses. If the insurance company offers a settlement, your attorney will help you decide whether to accept or keep moving toward trial.
5. Trial
If you do not receive an acceptable settlement offer, your case will be resolved in court. At trial, your attorney will present the evidence in your favor, and the insurance company’s defense lawyers will attempt to challenge your claim for compensation. Once all of the evidence has been presented, a judge or jury will decide how much compensation should be awarded.
Injured? Call Our Orange Park, FL Personal Injury Attorneys
For a free consultation about your rights after a vehicle collision, slip-and-fall accident, or other accident resulting in serious injury, please contact our law offices in Orange Park, FL. We are available 24/7, so call (904) 737-4700 or request an appointment online now.
