A Personal injury lawyer is a type of lawyer who represents clients who claim psychological or bodily harm due to another person’s or organization’s negligence or carelessness. They work in the field of personal injury law. This branch of law focuses on public or private wrongdoings or injuries and monetary and nonmonetary damages.
Their exact duty and activity vary depending on the kind of case and the circumstances surrounding the accident. Still, specific basic procedures are performed in almost every case. Some of the leading roles and responsibilities has are listed below:
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Investigation of claims
The lawyers usually operate on a contingency fee basis, which means they only ask for payment if they get a settlement or a jury judgment. Because they often fund the lawsuits, they carefully screen prospective clients and their respective claims against the accused. A personal injury lawyer will not embark on a case at all if they do not think the client will be successful.
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Collection of evidence
The client’s claim may be supported by evidence gathered by them. This may include obtaining any incident reports by the police. They may also try to find witnesses and get witness testimonies.
They may photograph the accident report themselves or ask a photographer to do so. They may also save case evidence such as property damage, video footage, or other proof. Evidence may be utilized to determine who was at fault for the accident and the number of the client’s losses.
- Insurance negotiation
Most people would have never bargained with insurance companies and hence may not know how to. On the other hand, they are pretty used to dealing with them. They may go through the policy’s specifics and estimate the maximum amount of compensation that may be available depending on the facts of the case.
A lawyer may also manage any insurance company contacts and prevent the injured victim from doing anything that might compromise the claim, such as providing a recorded statement.
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Sending demand letters
After carefully researching the matter, a lawyer may send an insurance company a demand letter. The details of the accident are stated in this demand letter, and a specific amount of compensation for the harm caused by the defendant is demanded.
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Preparing pleadings for the court hearing
The lawyer may file a complaint against the defendant if the insurance company refuses to provide reasonable compensation. The legal reasons for how and why the defendant is liable for the accident are laid forth in the complaint. The lawsuit also specifies the compensation amount sought by the client.
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Representing the client at the trial
A lawyer will defend you in court if the matter goes to trial. They are knowledgeable of how court procedures are conducted and can guarantee that all the necessary steps are taken to ensure the most favourable outcome for the client.
Conclusion
Simply put, a personal injury lawyer‘s job role is to negotiate adequate compensation for the losses suffered after an accident on behalf of the client. Therefore, they should undertake a detailed inspection of the client’s case in order to obtain the financial compensation the client deserves while negotiating settlement amounts.
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Author’s Bio
Shrey Jain is the Co-Founder of Writofy & a Chartered Accountant who works with a team of creative content writers. He holds a forte in creating informative content on niches like crypto, business, fintech, digital marketing, and several others. In addition, his willingness to learn and share his knowledge can immensely help readers get valuable insights on varied topics.