What is a Personal Injury Attorney

A personal injury attorney is a lawyer who represents a client who has been injured, whether through negligence or through an intentional act. They help pursue damages for the injured person in civil court. In order to understand exactly what a workplace accident attorney does, it’s helpful to first understand what a personal injury case would entail.

What is a Personal Injury Case?

Personal injury cases usually involve a negligent act from another person, though it can sometimes include an intentional act. They are pursued in civil court, rather than criminal court. These cases can include negligent security, slip and fall accidents, animal bites and attacks, automotive accidents, etc. Personal injury attorneys may also include construction accidents or even medical malpractice.

What Do Personal Injury Attorneys Do?

Obviously, personal injury attorneys help litigate your case. However, what does that entail? Personal injury attorneys will first investigate a claim because they often work on a contingency fee basis, which means they don’t get paid unless they win the case. Rigorous screening of clients helps them select cases that they think stand a good chance of winning in court.

Once they’ve decided a case is worth pursuing, they then begin gathering evidence. They will submit police reports and any documents related to the case, get witness statements, conduct interviews, seek any footage of the incident, and more.

They also negotiate with insurance companies and send demand letters to help their clients wade through the complications in their case and determine what damages to seek in court. If a case proceeds to trial, they will represent you.

What Compensation Will They Seek?

Personal injury attorneys will help seek a number of damages for their clients, including medical expenses, loss of income or earning capacity, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and more. Even non-monetary negative effects of the incident can impact the damages they seek.

How to Choose a Personal Injury Attorney?

Choosing a personal injury attorney is a very specific and personal choice. You want to make sure that they are an experienced lawyer who is also on the same page as you about your case. They should be honest and open in their communication, and always willing to answer your questions. After all, they will be receiving a portion of your damages should you win.

Here are a few questions to ask to get the ball rolling:

Have they taken similar cases in the past? What were the outcomes? Will there be any other attorneys assisting on the case? Can you also meet them? What are the chances of the case being successful and can they be improved by anything specific? What are their initial ideas about a plan of attack? Do they see a clear path forward? Do they have any ethics violations or any other disciplinary actions taken against them? What happens when the client and the attorney disagree? Can they provide references? When and how can you contact them if you have any questions throughout the case?