10 Things You Have to Know About Personal Injury Cases
Ignorance is not always bliss, especially if you plan to file a personal injury case.
You need to be knowledgeable and know your rights to pursue legal resources to make informed decisions. Besides, knowledge reduces anxiety as you know how long the case may last and how much you stand to receive.
To help you here are ten things you should know before filing a personal injury lawsuit in Burbank.
1. Get Treated
It doesn’t matter if you have a severe or mild injury. You must seek medical attention as soon s possible. It’s only a doctor who can identify hidden injuries so that you can mention them in your lawsuit.
Saying you were injured long after the accident because symptoms appeared later only reduces your credibility. Besides, you need the medical records because they are proof of your injury.
2. Collect Evidence of the Scene of the Accident
Call the police. They will ask questions, investigate and write up a police report. You need this report while filing lawsuits.
If well enough, take photos of the accident spot and collect the contact details of surrounding witnesses. You can have someone else do it on your behalf if you are injured.
3. Hire an Experienced Burbank Personal Injury Lawyer
Many opt to file a lawsuit on their own to save money. However, not many know that a qualified lawyer on your side increases your chances of earning compensation.
You can focus more on recovering from your severe injuries with an attorney handling your case. Besides, most attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. It means you pay them only if you win.
This means you have nothing to lose.
4. Disclose All Case Details to Your Attorney
It’s only if your lawyer knows every detail of the accident that they can craft an effective winning strategy. So clearly describe everything that happened before and after the accident in their forms and interview.
5. Cases Take Time
Lawyers don’t always make an immediate demand or start negotiations with the opposing party. Even if your case is valid, most lawyers start proceeding after a few weeks, months, or even longer.
They prefer making demands only when you reach the point of maximum medical improvement. This is when you will have completed most of your medical treatment and recovery.
So it makes it easier for your attorney to assess your claim worth.
6. Personal Injury Cases Don’t Always End Up in Litigations
It’s after valuating your claim that your attorney starts making settlement talks. While most issues are resolved through negotiations, the case proceeds to litigation if the talks fail or the parties can’t meet.
7. Lawyers Try Their Best to Avoid Trials
Lawyers will first request and exchange information to gain insight into the other’s legal defenses. It ensures that neither side has an advantage over the other at trial.
Depending on deadlines and case intricacies, the process will take anywhere between six months to a year.
8. Lawyers Try to Avoid a Trial
After the discovery phase, both lawyers make a last attempt to resolve matters and avoid a trial by resuming negotiations.
9. Mediation
Sometimes negotiations end up unsuccessful.
If this happens, the attorneys and clients may next resort to mediation. It’s where an objective third party gets involved in helping parties reach a mutual agreement.
10.Trial as the Last Option
It’s only when nothing else works that your Burbank personal injury attorney goes to trial.
However, remember that there may still be delays.
A trial doesn’t always start on the stipulated day. And whenever it does start, be ready for the trial to last a day, a week, or even longer.