The term ‘personal injuries’ covers a range of different scenarios that vary in severity as well as the legal consequences. Because of this, personal injury attorneys need to be able to handle a range of different cases and understand the processes involved with every personal injury lawsuit.
This includes seeking a fair compensation if you have been in an accident in a public space, at work, or anywhere outside the home. These are some of the main responsibilities of Robert Goings, a personal injury lawyer in Columbia, and how they will carry out your legal case.
Investigate Claims
The majority of personal injury attorneys will usually only charge clients when they have achieved financial compensation. Because of this, most personal injury attorneys will carry out their own screening test before agreeing to represent a client.
This is done in order to figure out whether the personal injury attorney believes that a case is likely to generate financial compensation for the client. If they do not think that is the situation, then they can withdraw from the case and be unable to represent the client.
Collect Evidence
As with any legal case, there is a significant amount of evidence that is required in order to support the client and suggest to a court of law that the other party are responsible for a clients’ injuries or ailment.
Personal injury attorneys need to find plenty of evidence in favor of their clients’ claim. These include security camera footage, witness statements, police reports, and anything that can prove that the events in a case actually happened.
Not only that, but evidence can provide a better understanding over who was responsible for the clients’ injuries. In order to settle a case and decide how much is owed in compensation charges, a personal injury attorney will also need evidence of medical records, hospital reports, employment reports, and proof of property damage in some instances.
Negotiate With Insurance Companies
Another key responsibility of personal injury attorneys is to negotiate with the necessary insurance providers relevant to the case. This involves learning more about policy terms, and preventing their client from directly interacting with their insurance company. This has the potential to jeopardize their claim before having the chance to settle any agreements.
A personal injury attorney will also need to figure out the maximum amount of compensation which can be expected within a particular case. This is done using information about the clients’ insurance, as well as the opposing party’s insurers.
Send Letters
In addition to a selection of paperwork, personal injury attorneys are responsible for sending demand letters. This is normally done once they have gathered all the necessary information in regard to the case, and demanding a certain amount of compensation from insurance companies.
The focus of a demand letter is to state all the facts and maintain an objective approach. Personal injury attorneys are trained in order to write these types of letters effectively.
Prepare Pleadings
There are many reasons why an insurance company will refuse to pay the amount that is stated in the demand letter.
When this happens, personal injury attorneys will need to prepare a complaint or pleading. This is a legal argument that the opposing party have thirty days to respond to.
Represent Clients
One of the most well-known things that personal injury attorneys do is represent their clients in court. They are experienced individuals that understand how they can achieve the best results on behalf of their clients.
Going to court for any reason can be draining as well as confusing, which is why personal injury attorneys will approach it willingly. Not only can they talk their clients over every step of the process involved in court, but personal injury attorneys will fight for their client and ensure that they are following protocol.
Contact Additional Services
Because there are so many types of personal injury cases, the outcome can sometimes be a little more complex. In some cases, a personal injury attorney will need to contact someone who is more experienced within a certain field.
This could be a scientist, psychology expert, or more. A good personal injury attorney will understand the limits of their own knowledge and contact additional services when necessary.
Summary
Personal injury attorneys are responsible for a range of processes when it comes to representing clients within a legal scenario. Because no two personal injury cases are identical, a personal injury attorney needs to be flexible and prepared to represent any client within court.
