Personal injury lawyers assist individuals or families who have gone through the agony of being injured because of someone else’s negligence. Examples of personal injury cases include car accidents, dog or cat bites, workplace incidents, slip and fall incidents and defective medicines or products.
Personal Injury Cases – Seeking Compensation
When someone is injured because of another’s negligence, you are rarely dealing with the other party on a personal level. Whether the injury was caused by an individual’s negligence or a company’s mistake, you are typically dealing with an insurance company.
For instance, if you get into a major car accident, you are not going to call the other party directly and ask for compensation. You will request compensation from an insurance company.
Personal Injury Attorneys Specialize in Tort Law
Personal injury lawyers are civil litigators who offer representation to individuals or families who are going through physical or psychological injuries because of someone else’s negligent behavior.
The type of law practiced by these attorneys is known as tort law. The basis of tort law is to ensure that an injured party is compensated fairly for cases that cannot be criminally tried, and that others are discouraged from repeating the same negligent or careless behavior. An example of a tort law case going is the Essure mass tort.
If there was no punishment for someone who caused a car accident, beyond their own vehicle being damaged and suffering possible injuries, it would encourage reckless driving. Those who do not care for their own property would have no fear on the road. But since we know that driving recklessly can result in having to pay compensation to the victims of the accident, we are more careful on the road.
Tort law includes various types of personal injury cases, such as animal bites, auto and aviation accidents, burns, construction accidents, defective products, medical malpractice and wrongful death. Personal injury lawyers handle these cases from the inception to the very end. If there is an appeal, the same lawyer will represent your interests in the case.
Some cases are settled out of court, while other cases go before a judge to get a verdict.
It is important to remember that just like other types of law, there are subcategories within tort law. Simply because a lawyer has handled a tort case does not mean they are right for your tort case.
For instance, lawyers that specialize in medical malpractice suits may not know very much about car accident claims. You must hire a personal injury attorney who has handled your type of tort case in the past.
Why Hire Personal Injury Lawyers?
To ensure that you have a fair chance of competing with an insurance company and its team of lawyers, it is prudent to hire a personal injury lawyer. You will speak with your lawyer, highlight everything that happened before, during and after you suffered your injury, and present the lawyer will all the relevant documentation and evidence.
Your lawyer will work to get you the best compensation, whether it is through negotiations or by going to court. Some cases are easier to resolve than others. It depends on the incident and how easy it is to prove fault – and to show damages.
Leveling the Playing Field
When you get into an accident and someone gives you their insurance card, you will hope for a smooth process to receive compensation.
Unfortunately, major insurance companies are successful because they are careful about paying claims. They will pay out, eventually. But they will not make it easy. Their team of lawyers will do everything to ensure that they protect the company, which means limiting or avoiding a payout.
Insurance companies hire expensive attorneys, and those lawyers work full time for the insurance company. You need the same type of representation, which is why a personal injury attorney is necessary to successfully argue the case.
No Guarantees
Remember that getting a lawyer is no guarantee. Whether you get money from your case will depend on the circumstances. That is why you must contact a lawyer the moment something of this nature occurs. When you start the process early, your lawyer can assess the situation and let you know whether you have a case.
Your personal injury attorney will offer counsel, support and most-importantly, your lawyer will offer the legal nous and experience you need to come out ahead in one of these cases.
