A seasoned personal injury lawyer in California can help you with your injury claim in numerous ways. If you believe you might have a viable personal injury claim, schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss your options.
Here are the ways an injury attorney can help your claim:
1. They Can Inform You of Your Rights
You probably have more rights after an accident than you think. Don’t rely on the opposing party (probably an insurance company) to give you an accurate description of them. For example, If you suffer a motorcycle accident, it could be important to know that California is the only US state that allows lane-splitting.
Did you know that in California, you can still win compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident? Your lawyer can describe your rights to you, so you understand how they affect your personal injury claim.
2. They Can Investigate Your Claim and Gather Evidence
After listening to your story and asking questions about your accident, your lawyer can thoroughly investigate your claim to look for ways to win your case. A good personal injury lawyer knows what kinds of evidence to look for and what kinds of evidence can be admitted in court.
A police report is generally not allowed as evidence, for example, but your own social media posts might be. The intricacies of the California Evidence Code are among the most important reasons you need a lawyer.
3. They Can Work With Expert Witnesses on Your Behalf
In certain types of personal injury cases, such as medical malpractice and product liability cases, you will probably need expert witness testimony to prove your claim.
Experienced personal injury lawyers maintain long-term relationships with reputable, professional expert witnesses. Expert witnesses can help you at trial, but they can also help you at the settlement table if your claim never goes to trial.
4. They Can Draft Legal Documents for You
If you settle your claim out of court, you will need a well-drafted settlement agreement. If you go to court, you will need to file a formal complaint, motions, etc.
Since a single misplaced word or misstatement of the law can generate negative consequences, you should have your lawyer draft these documents for you.
5. They Can Handle Negotiations for You
The way most unrepresented claimants lose their claims is by recovering far too little compensation from the opposing party. The reason why this happens so often is that insurance adjusters are professional negotiators.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can handle these types of negotiations on your behalf and ensure you get every cent to which you are entitled.
6. They Can Represent You at Trial
In almost all cases, neither side wants to go through the inconvenience and uncertainty of a trial. That is why most claims end in settlements. Once in a while, however, a trial is inevitable.
If the size of your claim is greater than the limit for small claims court ($10,000), you will have to go to a regular court, not a small claims court, and you might find yourself in a complex environment that you don’t understand.
A Large Claim Demands a Skilled Personal Injury Lawyer
The larger your claim is, the more the opposing party will fight it. Since California has pure comparative fault laws, the opposing party will try to blame you for as much of the accident as they can.
They will also exploit any error you might make, like talking about your case on social media. A skilled California personal injury lawyer can handle your claim for you, so you can focus on regaining your health.