Injury Lawyer Reading PA victims to receive monetary compensation from at-fault parties. A skilled injury lawyer will fight to get you the maximum recovery possible.
An experienced attorney will know how to establish causation, the legal standard of proof required for a successful injury claim. Causation means “more probable than not.” For example, a woman who sued McDonald’s for spilled coffee was awarded substantial damages.
A personal injury lawyer will work tirelessly to ensure you are fully compensated for your harm. They will examine police reports, interview witnesses, review medical bills and records, investigate the accident site, and hire experts to establish negligence. They will also take over all formal communications with the at-fault insurance company and prepare interrogatories (questions) or depositions as necessary.
They will know that many people seeking compensation for injuries caused by the wrongful actions of another person, business, or government entity have never before handled a large claim and may be overwhelmed by the process. They will use this to their advantage, increasing the “hassle factor” to wear people down so they grow frustrated and give up.
In addition to increasing the stress of a claim by adding unnecessary delays, insurance companies will try to undermine your claims by disputing or diminishing the value of your losses. This is done by hiring a medical expert who will testify that your injuries are not as severe as you claim or that you have exaggerated your symptoms. They will also try to reduce the value of your non-economic damages by questioning you about your emotional and mental suffering.
To avoid giving insurance companies ammunition against you, it is critical to hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after an accident. The law allows individuals to file claims to recover compensation for physical, mental, emotional, and reputational damage resulting from the intentional or accidental acts of another individual, business or governmental entity. The time frame to file a lawsuit can be very short, so it is imperative that you act quickly to protect your rights and interests. A qualified personal injury lawyer can help you even the playing field against powerful and well-funded insurance companies. It’s important to remember that the insurance adjuster for the at-fault party’s insurance company is not on your side and his interests are completely opposite from yours. They will often be very friendly and helpful at first, but as the case progresses they will become increasingly hostile and aggressive.
Government Entities Are Working Against You
A major part of an injury lawyer’s job is to represent clients during legal proceedings. That includes negotiating with insurance companies, filing lawsuits when necessary, and advocating for their clients in court if a fair settlement cannot be reached outside of trial. This is especially true for personal injury cases involving New York’s government entities, where sovereign immunity has been waived to allow injured victims to sue state and municipal employees and agencies for negligence. In these cases, it is a personal injury lawyer’s responsibility to prove that the at-fault party was negligent by carefully investigating police reports, interviewing witnesses, and examining medical records.
Insurance Companies Have A Huge Legal Department
Whether it’s a large company, municipality or private individual, insurance companies have teams of lawyers, claims adjusters and investigators who work to protect their interests. Their goal is to minimize the amount they have to pay for injuries or death.
An injury lawyer’s job is to counter that by establishing the client’s legal rights, negotiating with insurers and, when necessary, filing lawsuits to ensure that clients receive a fair recovery for their losses. This often requires expert testimony, extensive legal research and trial preparation.
It also involves maintaining an objective perspective, which is important in cases where clients are struggling emotionally. They might be receiving calls from debt collectors or are worried about how they’ll make ends meet without a paycheck. A good personal injury lawyer will help them focus on the legal aspects of their case and make decisions based on evidence and merit rather than emotion.
A personal injury attorney can hire experts to assist in determining the cause of the accident and to provide a valuation for future damages. The lawyer will review medical records, gather evidence such as photos of the accident scene, obtain statements from witnesses and conduct a thorough investigation.
If the accident occurred due to someone else’s negligence, a good personal injury lawyer will help their client to file a claim and negotiate a fair settlement with the negligent party or their insurance company. In many cases, a settlement is reached outside of court. However, a strong demand package can encourage the negligent party or their insurance company to settle a case for what it’s worth.
It’s also common for personal injury lawyers to collaborate with other attorneys in their firm. This can help to reduce the likelihood of conflicts of interest and improve a client’s chances of success. For example, a personal injury lawyer might partner with a trial attorney to help build a case. They may also share resources such as investigators, expert witnesses and paralegals. They might even use the same software to streamline communications and documentation.
Insurance Companies Will Hire Doctors And Lawyers To Discredit You
Insurance companies have a lot to lose in high-dollar injury cases, so they will do whatever it takes to discredit you. For example, they may hire medical experts to say that your injuries are not as severe as you claim. They will also hire private investigators to monitor your activities and social media. They will look for any information they can use to make you appear irresponsible in front of a jury. For example, if your doctor tells you that you cannot run or climber lift, and then you are seen doing so on social media, it will be used against you in court.
Workers’ compensation doctors are notoriously corrupt, and insurance companies will pay them large sums to provide biased opinions that minimize your injury. These doctors took an oath to help their patients, but they are often paid off by employers who want to keep their costs down and reduce benefits to injured workers.
Another common tactic is for the insurance company to send you to a “independent” medical examiner who will take notes and write a report that will be used against you. These “independent” medical examiners are often hired by insurance companies to create doubt in your case, and they may even suggest that something else is causing your injuries. Your attorney will have experience cross-examining these biased insurance experts and will be able to expose their misinformation and deception.
In addition to using biased medical professionals, insurance companies will try to discredit you by attacking your credibility and character. They will accuse you of lying, exaggerating your symptoms, and making up injuries that did not happen. This can damage your credibility in court and lead to the loss of your case.
An experienced personal injury attorney will know how to counter these tactics and can also negotiate your medical bills to lower liens and out-of-pocket expenses. A skilled injury lawyer will be able to spot excessive charges, double billing, and ambiguous fees that can save you money on your settlement. In addition, they can negotiate with medical providers to ensure that they will accept a reasonable fee for services.