The question of what are personal injury attorney responsibilities is something that comes up quite often. A lot of people understand that legal representation can be a vital asset in pursuing a fair outcome after you’ve suffered an injury due to potential negligence. However, that understanding usually extends to “hiring a lawyer” and not much further. What does a personal injury lawyer provide for you when you request their services? What kinds of duties do they have to perform in pursuit of providing you with excellent service? We will cover the responsibilities of a personal injury attorney and help you to get a better understanding of what a personal injury attorney does.
Evaluate Your Likelihood of Success
First and foremost, one of the key lawyer roles and duties is to ensure that you do not pursue legal remedies that have little or no chance of success. In some cases you might not have the standing to sue somebody, and in other cases, the burden of proof created by the law is too hard to meet. Your attorney will gather all the facts and determine if you have a case and the chance of success. While results aren’t ever promised, this first step is one of the most essential and is part of every personal injury attorney job description.
Take Care of Important Negotiations
No one wants to deal with the aggravating process of negotiating with an insurance company alone. Whether you’ve had your car insurance claim denied or the other party’s insurance company refuses to present you with a reasonable offer of compensation, you should not have to put your life on hold to argue with adjusters. A personal injury lawyer handles that task instead, handling the back-and-forth negotiations that can produce a better settlement offer– or the sign you need to know it’s time to try other options.
Gathering Evidence and Presenting Research
Personal injury attorneys understand thoroughly what the law requires in terms of evidence to establish a claim of negligence or to otherwise press the claims necessary in these types of personal injury claims. As a result, they make it easier to collect evidence and give the facts in a coherent way that supports your overall case. When the law gets tricky, they also know where to research the answers to tough questions. Therefore, one of the main personal injury lawyer responsibilities is to gather evidence on your behalf.
Take Care of Court Filings and Procedural Issues
There are all kinds of forms, proper language, formatting, and deadlines when it comes to making legal filings before the court. This complex process shouldn’t be something you have to deal with. Instead, it is the responsibility of your personal injury attorney to properly prepare and file everything necessary to push forward with a case in court. They will also handle informing the other party and handle communication pertaining to the case on your behalf.
Representation Before the Court
If your case proceeds to an actual lawsuit, your lawyer steps up to fulfill their most important duty to you: appearing as your advocate in front of a judge in court. Having an injury attorney in trial is essential. You want nothing less than the best personal injury attorney standing by your side. Experience in these matters is really important, as office work and court work are significantly different. In addition to this responsibility, lawyers will also communicate any outcome from the court to you and also take care of compensation allocation.
Important Factors to Consider When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
When you are considering hiring a personal injury lawyer, there are a few key factors to keep in mind.
Here are four of the most important:
- Experience. A good personal injury lawyer will have experience working on cases similar to yours. This will give them an advantage when it comes to understanding your case and finding solutions.
- Area of expertise. Make sure the lawyer you hire has a specialty in personal injury law. This will help them better understand your case and potential outcomes.
- Fees. Be sure to ask about fees before hiring a lawyer. You don’t want to end up spending more money than necessary on your case.
- Legal representation. Make sure the attorney you choose is licensed and registered with the state bar association or the appropriate professional organization for personal injury lawyers. This is important to ensure they have taken the required coursework and passed the appropriate exams.
The Process of Litigation
The process of litigation can be a difficult task, but it is essential that you have an experienced lawyer on your side to help guide you through the process. Here are some tips to help make the process smoother:
- Make sure you have all the relevant documentation. Your lawyer will need to review all of the evidence in your case to determine how best to proceed. Make sure you have all of your medical records, bills, and correspondence from your insurance company.
- Schedule a consultation with your lawyer as soon as possible. He or she will be able to provide you with a detailed overview of your case and answer any questions that you may have. This consultation is also an opportunity for your lawyer to assess how much money you might be entitled to recover in damages.
- Stay organized. Keep all relevant documents organized in one place so that you can easily find them when needed. This will help reduce the amount of time spent searching for information during trial proceedings.
- Bring along a friend or family member who can support you during the proceedings. It can be difficult to handle everything on your own and having someone there who understands what you are going through can make the process a lot easier.
With so many duties, personal injury lawyers are usually really busy “behind the scenes,” working hard to create better results for their clients. Have you recently suffered a slip and fall injury or a car accident injury that led to a loss of income or other impacts in your life? Evaluating your legal standing with Marko Law, a Grand Rapids personal injury lawyer today could be a great idea. At Marko Law, we provide a highly skilled team of litigators with a clear understanding of Michigan law and litigation.
