An accident attorney is a key player on your team when you have a personal injury claim. It is their job to help guide you through the claims process and make sure that you get fair compensation if you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault. Your accident attorney will take on several roles to help you with your case.
Your Accident Attorney’s Role before the Case
Before you start moving forward with your case, you will want to contact an accident attorney. He or she will conduct a preliminary investigation and sort through all of the documentation including police, accident, and witness reports. Your attorney will also discuss the event with you in an in-depth interview. All of this will tell him or her if you have a viable claim and enough evidence to proceed.
After deciding to pursue the case, your attorney will conduct a more thorough investigation. This phase includes an on-site investigation, speaking with experts, and re-interviewing witnesses. He or she may also consult an expert witness and a reconstruction expert to get a clear idea of exactly what happened.
At this point, your accident attorney will prepare all of the paperwork and forward it and questions to the negligent party and wait for a written response. Paperwork will also be filed with the state court.
During the Case
The first thing your accident attorney will do is try to reach a mutually agreeable settlement between you and the negligent company’s insurer. This saves both parties time and money by avoiding a trial. Your attorney will use the information discovered in their investigation to try to get you a fair settlement.
If the parties cannot agree on a settlement then your attorney will prepare for court. He or she will handle all the litigation, file motions, and prepare witnesses. Then your accident attorney will present your case to the judge and jury in an effort to receive a favorable outcome.