What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

Before you file your claim, a personal injury lawyer can help with the following:

• Investigating the facts of your accident or injury thoroughly, and using the facts to strengthen your claim as much as possible
• Interviewing witnesses for their account of what they observed at the scene
• Reconstructing the accident to better understand what happened
• Gathering important documents, reports, invoices, photographs, and other evidence to prove your claim and the amount of your damages
• Researching the laws that apply to your claim, along with any procedural issues that may arise
• Offering legal advice and discussing your options, rights, and potential next steps in your case

Your experienced personal injury lawyer can also help with the personal injury claims process, such as:

• Choosing the proper court in which to file your claim
• Ascertaining the full amount of your damages, including your specific out-of-pocket costs and your general damages, such as pain and suffering, as well as any long-term or permanent damages
• Coming up with a fair and reasonable settlement request and sending a demand to the other party’s insurance company
• Communicating with other parties, witnesses, authorities, and anyone else involved in the case on your behalf
• Conducting discoveries and exchanging information with the other parties, including written and oral questioning
• Negotiating with the other party and their insurer toward a fair settlement
• Drafting your pleadings and filing them in court, setting out your claims, damages, and arguments
• Drafting any appropriate motions or other court documents needed in your case
• Anticipating the defenses and arguments the other parties are likely to raise and working to refute or rebut them

If the claim proceeds to go to court, a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer will be able to help with the following:

• Analyzing the law and applying it to the specific facts of your case
• Introducing evidence in court that helps establish your claim and your damages
• Questioning the witnesses you present in court, as well as those presented by the other side
• Arguing your claims in court and building a strong case on your behalf
• Working to secure payment from the other party and their insurance company