Have you recently suffered from a personal injury?
Personal injuries are difficult to go through because you’re often left with a ton of medical fees and damaged belongings. Depending on the incident, you might have to pay medical bills on top of things like a new car.
Fortunately, there are personal injury lawyers that work hard to ensure their clients receive compensation. Filing a lawsuit is how their clients can get money, but several things take place to ensure they go smoothly.
Check out this personal injury lawsuit timeline to know the common steps you’ll go through when filing a lawsuit.
Get Medical Help
The first thing you must do in a personal injury case process is to seek medical attention immediately. Whether you’re in an accident or someone attacks you, you’ll need to ensure that your injuries are taken care of.
Even if you don’t feel any pain, there’s still a chance for you to have an injury. The shock of a stressful event can temporarily numb your pain, preventing you from knowing that you have a problem.
Contact Your Insurance
After you’ve sought medical attention, the next step on the personal injury settlement timeline is contacting your insurance. This will let you know if you can get covered for any medical bills.
In most cases, insurance will cover damages that you’ve suffered, but they’ll try to cover as little as possible. If you were injured because of someone else, you could end up having to pay a lot of money if they don’t have insurance.
Consult with a Lawyer
The risk of having to pay more because of someone’s negligence is what brings us to our next step: getting a lawyer. Because your insurance is most likely to cheap out on you, having a lawyer will ensure that you can get the compensation you deserve.
It’s important to go over the personal injury fees when you consult a lawyer, but you’ll be able to pay them without a problem if you have a strong case. A lawyer will be able to give you a better idea of how much compensation you could get.
Investigation Will Ensue
One of the most important steps in a personal injury case is investigating and gathering information. With the help of your lawyer, you’ll start finding any photos, videos, eyewitnesses, and medical bills relating to the incident.
Depending on the injuries you suffer, your lawyer will contact several medical experts to get an idea of how much recovery would cost. The information from an expert will increase your chances of winning a case because it’s coming from an unbiased source.
Send a Demand Letter
Demand letters essentially notify the at-fault party that they’re about to have a case against them. These will outline everything about the case including the injuries suffered, medical bills, cost of treatment, etc.
A demand letter gives a chance to the at-fault party to pay the expenses without going to trial. The letter makes it clear that the victim will take the case to trial if the recipient refuses to pay.
File a Lawsuit
If your demand letter isn’t enough to get your point across, the next step is to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. Generally, a lawsuit will begin by filing something that’s known as a complaint.
Similar to demand letters, complaints are sent to the at-fault party. When the at-fault party receives it, they’ll choose to admit or deny the allegations. Keep in mind that the complaint has the same information as the demand letter in terms of describing the case.
Discover More Info
When you’ve begun the lawsuit personal injury lawsuit process, both parties will gather evidence from one another. You and your lawyer will gather witnesses and exchange information with the defending party so everyone is aware of what will be presented.
The purpose of this step is to give both parties a chance to prepare their arguments. Getting the defendant’s side of the story lets you work around it to strengthen your case and vice-versa.
Opt for Arbitration or Mediation
Whether the lawsuit is filed or not, there’s still an opportunity to handle things outside of trial. Arbitration and meditation are quicker than going to court, and they also let your case fly under the radar.
Arbitration
Arbitration is similar to going to court in that both parties present their cases and have a third party decide the fate. Arbitrators are the deciding party of these cases, and they’re generally professionals in the field of law.
Mediation
Mediation is different from arbitration because it relies on the parties reaching an agreement. However, a mediator will be present to ensure that both sides get to speak and that no one gets upset. Should the parties not reach an agreement, they can go to trial.
Follow the Personal Injury Lawsuit Timeline
If you ever suffer from a personal injury, you’ll want to follow the steps in this personal injury lawsuit timeline to ensure you get compensation. Some of the main things you should focus on are getting medical help, contacting your insurance, and getting a lawyer.
When you get a lawyer, you’ll be able to try and get compensation from the at-fault party without going to trial. Thanks to the evidence gathered by a lawyer, you’ll have a strong case so that you’re more likely to win.
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