What To Expect From Your Personal Injury Lawyer
by Becky Freeman
After an accident, it is common for victims to wonder where to turn for help. Even after deciding to contact a personal injury lawyer, it's difficult to know what to expect. Read below for some ideas on what to expect with your new lawyer.
Get Things Started
Make the most of your first meeting by gathering as much evidence as possible to bring with you. That might include the accident report, your medical treatment records, a vehicle repair estimate, a summary of time missed from work, and anything else you might have. Your lawyer will review your case and offer to represent you if you have a good chance of winning.
Initial Investigations
Your lawyer will verify the information you provide and begin to investigate matters. They might speak to eyewitnesses, obtain video footage, review photographs, and more. This will help the lawyer estimate how much you are owed in damages.
Send a Demand Letter
Once enough information is gathered, you and your lawyer will agree on a sum of money you are owed, and a demand letter will be sent to the at-fault driver's insurance company. The letter mentions what you have in evidence and why you are owed that sum of money. Implied in the letter is the threat that a lawsuit will be filed if the demands are not met.
Negotiations Begin
Most demand letters don't result in immediate payment, but the letter does open the negotiations. Your lawyer will communicate with the other driver's insurer over the phone and things will go back and forth for a time. In some cases, documents are exchanged showing proof of medical treatment and the like.
A Settlement is Offered
Your lawyer will keep you informed of any reasonable offers from the other side. The decision to accept an offer or hold out for more is your decision to make. However, you can depend on your lawyer to give you good advice on how to act. The lawyer knows what your type of case often settles for and what to expect. If they advise you to wait for a better offer, you are probably owed more money than is being offered. Offers are based on your actual damages along with your pain and suffering. Also at play is your age, occupation, and area of the country. Other similar cases will also affect the amount you end up being paid.
Contact an auto accident insurance attorney to find out more about your case.
Share
About Me
Hello and welcome, I'm Winfred Paulo. I have a passion for civil court cases of all kinds. Some time back, I ended up in the thick of a civil case after a lengthy dispute with my neighbor. The dispute went on for years and ended badly with an incident that landed us both in court. We had to prove our side of the case in an effort to obtain a positive outcome and recoup our losses. Unfortunately, I lost the case due to a lack of evidence. Since then, I've maintain a strong interest in civil cases and their proceedings. I will share information about civil cases on this site to help others understand these proceedings better. I may talk about legal terms, and expected outcomes for each case type. I hope you visit often to learn more. Thanks for stopping by my website.