What Questions Do Personal Injury Lawyers Often Get?
Every day, personal injury lawyers across the U.S. are helping accident victims seek compensation for injuries sustained during an accident. With this being the case, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that personal injury lawyers get asked the same questions pretty much on a daily basis.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident recently, and you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer who can help, it’s in your best interest to know what common questions a personal injury lawyer gets asked. By the end of this FAQ, you’ll know all about personal injury lawsuits and how a personal injury lawyer can help an accident victim file one.
Call 1-800-HURT-511 if you’re looking for a top-tier personal injury lawyer in Richmond Hills. The lawyers we work with are known throughout the Five Boroughs, and they’ve secured hundreds of favorable outcomes for accident victims and their families.
What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do for Their Client?
A personal injury lawyer can provide a wide range of services for you following an accident, including:
Handling the Lawsuit
A personal injury lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf and handle all the processes that move the lawsuit along. A personal injury lawyer who’s experienced and well-versed in the law will make easy work of getting the formalities out of the way. Plus, midst recovering, the last thing an accident victim should be doing is reading through a bunch of technical jargon and trying to understand things that lawyers work for years to fully understand. You should be focusing on recovery and letting a personal injury lawyer handle the nitty-gritty.
Negotiating With Insurance Companies
A lawyer will negotiate with involved insurance companies on your behalf. Since New York is a no fault-state, most accidents result in an accident victim filing a claim with their own insurance provider for damages. However, there are plenty of instances when individuals sue each other for damages in New York. If your case should require suing another person or entity, you’ll want a qualified, skilled, and experienced personal injury lawyer taking the lead here. They’ll be able to demand what’s fair, and they won’t accept a lowball settlement.
Evidence Gathering
A lawyer will conduct the evidence gathering process thoroughly. They will know exactly what kind of evidence is needed to bring a case, and they will have relationships with hospitals, police departments, etc., so they’ll be able to get crucial evidence in a timely manner. They’ll also be able to get pictures of the accident scene, witness testimony, and other crucial pieces of evidence that’ll be needed to prove your case.
Bringing In Expert Witnesses
If expert witnesses are needed to prove your case, a personal injury lawyers can bring them on. Well-known and highly skilled personal injury lawyers like us have worked with some world-renowned experts to reach favorable outcomes for our clients.
How Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Get Paid?
Personal injury lawyers work on what’s known as contingency. That is, a personal injury lawyer will only get paid if they secure an award for their client. Usually, a personal injury lawyer will take between 33.3% and 40% of a total award as compensation. Part of the compensation they claim will be used to cover expenses related to bringing the lawsuit. In New York, personal injury lawyers must follow rules, regulations, and ethical standards when claiming a portion of their client’s award.
Is Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer Necessary?
It is possible for an accident victim to file a personal injury lawsuit on their own, but this is not advised, as most individuals lack the legal training, experience, and resources necessary to file a claim on their own. Even professional lawyers are advised to not handle their own accident claims, as often it’s hard to act objectively when you’re emotionally tied to the outcome of a case.
When considering whether or not you should hire a lawyer, you need to ask yourself this question: Do you want to have the best possible chance of receiving damages for injuries? If so, then hiring a personal injury lawyer is a very good move.
What Damages Can I Seek?
Damages is a legal term for money that’s awarded to a plaintiff as redress for injuries sustained during an accident. Below are some kinds of damages that are often awarded:
General Damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Dismemberment
- PTSD
- Disfigurement
- Loss of life enjoyment
Economic Damages:
- Medical bills
- Lost earnings both past and future
- Long-term care bills
One can also seek punitive damages in an instance where an at-fault party’s gross negligence is what caused the victim’s injuries.
How Often Do Personal Injury Cases Go to Trial?
Over 95% of personal injury lawsuits never make it to trial. Parties to lawsuits tend to settle out of court, and there are a few reasons why parties are incentivized to settle. This makes the process less expensive and also shortens it quite substantially. If a settlement can be reached before a judge and jury ever need to get involved, parties can move beyond the accident quicker, which is what nearly all individuals want after being involved in an accident.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
The answer here depends on what kind of personal injury lawsuit you need to file. Generally speaking, New York accident victims have three years to file a claim. However, if you’re filing a wrongful death suit, you only have two years. Also, you’ll have a shorter window if you’re filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. And if you’re filing a lawsuit against a government entity, you’ll only have 30 days to do so.
Even though you have three years to file a claim, you should still get things in motion quickly, as evidence depreciates. If you wait too long, the evidence may become unconvincing, making your case harder to prove.
Is Seeking Medical Attention Before I File a Lawsuit Necessary?
Seeking medical attention following an accident is incredibly important for a variety of reasons. Of course you’ll need to get treated right away so accident injuries don’t get worse, but you’ll also need documents tying the injuries to the accident. With these, you’ll be in a better position to seek damages later on.
At last, finding a personal injury lawyer doesn’t have to be a hassle. 1-800-HURT-511 has made things so easy. We’ll connect you with lawyers who speak your language and know how to bring the case you’re looking to bring. They’ve recovered over $1 billion for their clients, and you don’t have to pay them anything unless they win you money.
Call 1-800-HURT-511 right away. Time is running out!
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