Personal Injury
Personal injury cases are legal cases involving victims who have been injured due to the negligence of others. For example, if you were hurt in a car accident someone else caused, it’s not fair to expect you to cover the cost of your own medical bills.
Instead, you could potentially seek financial compensation by filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit. The following overview will help you better understand what types of cases qualify as personal injury cases, and how a personal injury lawyer may play a vital role in these matters.
What Is Personal Injury?
Personal injury cases take many potential forms. Examples include (but aren’t necessarily limited to) the following:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Slip and falls and other premises liability accidents
- Product liability accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Wrongful death
Essentially, a personal injury case is one in which a victim has sustained an injury due to the negligence of another party. A victim in these circumstances could seek financial compensation to help cover their medical bills, lost wages, and more by filing a personal injury claim.
What Is the Personal Injury Claims Process?
When a person is injured due to someone else’s negligence, the negligent party may not technically be the one responsible for compensating them. Instead, the victim can first seek compensation by filing a claim with the negligent party’s disability insurance.
(That said, if the negligent party doesn’t have insurance, they may have to compensate the victim directly.)
No two personal injury claims are exactly the same. That said, the claims process generally involves the following steps:
- Investigating an accident to determine who caused it
- Gathering evidence of liability
- Submitting a claim with supporting documentation
- Reviewing an insurance company’s initial settlement offer
- Accepting the offer or negotiating for a fair settlement if the initial offer is too low
There are also instances in which it may be necessary to file a personal injury lawsuit and seek damages in court. For example, this might be your best option if the insurance company denies liability or refuses to make a fair offer. Qualified personal injury lawyers can help you better understand how to navigate your case, explaining whether it’s smarter to settle out-of-court or whether you should proceed with a lawsuit.
What Is a Personal Injury Attorney?
The process of seeking compensation after being injured due to someone else’s negligence is often very complex. Fortunately, it isn’t a process a victim must handle on their own.
A personal injury attorney can assist a client in many vital ways. Examples include:
- Reviewing their case to determine if they may be eligible for compensation
- Thoroughly investigating an accident to gather sufficient evidence of liability
- Completing all paperwork and submitting it on behalf of a client
- Evaluating an insurance company’s offers
- Handling negotiations with the insurance company if an offer is too low
Be aware that not all personal injury lawyers offer the same services. For example, auto accident lawyers who focus almost exclusively on motor vehicle accidents might not be as qualified as others to handle a medical malpractice case. Before hiring a particular lawyer, you must confirm they offer the specific services you need.
Hiring a lawyer can also potentially play a critical role in your recovery. If an attorney is handling your claim or personal injury lawsuit, you may be better able to get the rest you need in the aftermath of an accident.
How Much Is a Personal Injury Lawyer?
The cost of hiring a personal injury attorney can vary from one lawyer to another. It’s important to thoroughly understand an attorney’s fees before agreeing to hire them.
That said, hiring a personal injury lawyer is often less costly than many realize. This is because many personal injury attorneys use the contingency fee billing model.
A contingency fee agreement is one in which a lawyer doesn’t charge an upfront fee for their services. Instead, their fee is a percentage of the settlement or damages they secure for their client. With this type of agreement in place, a lawyer only gets paid if their client gets paid. A typical contingency fee is 33%.
Speak With A Personal Injury Attorney
Have you been injured due to the actions or carelessness of another party? Are you facing medical bills and lost wages as a result? If so, you may be eligible for financial compensation.
That’s not to say you should burden yourself with the task of seeking this compensation on your own. Instead, strongly consider taking the Free Case Evaluation to speak with a personal injury lawyer who subscribes to the website.
