What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

You’ve almost certainly seen the advertisements. Large billboards plastered all over town highlighting larger than life settlements, TV ads promising that you’ll be able to get help, and radio spots that begin with “if you’ve been injured in an accident….”

The ads are everywhere, but do you know what a personal injury lawyer does?

The truth is personal injury lawyers do a lot of work on behalf of their clients. The average person isn’t going to automatically understand the law and all of their rights, nor will they have the experience to fight for and protect their rights.

Let’s take a closer look at what a personal injury lawyer does.

A Personal Injury Lawyers First Steps

One of the first things you should do after being injured, whether as part of a car accident or due to the actions or negligence of someone else, is to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. At the first meeting with your attorney, they will have you explain the facts surrounding your accident and review the crash report and your insurance policy information. They will also discuss any and all injuries you sustained.

Your attorney will then explain the next steps in your matter, explain how their fee will be paid, and ensure that you seek the proper medical care for your injuries. You are going to have a lot of questions to be answered shortly after the crash or incident. That is why it is so important to meet with an attorney and not an investigator or staff member who cannot provide answers.

What Happens Next?

One of the major benefits of hiring a personal injury attorney is that after they are engaged and working on your case, you get to focus on recovering mentally and physically while they handle the rest. Once you are represented by an attorney, you will no longer receive phone calls from the insurance company. All communication will now go through your attorney.

Your personal injury lawyer will begin to obtain evidence and documentation related to your case, speak with the opposing insurance company or defense attorney, and ensure that you are continuing necessary medical treatment. They will also obtain your medical records, any information related to your loss of wages, and also inform the insurance company that they are representing you and will be handling your case. They may send an initial demand letter to the insurance company on your behalf.

Attorney Experience Matters

Of course you’re going to want an experienced attorney representing you. The experience, skills, and reputation of your personal injury attorney will play a major part in how your case gets resolved. And believe it or not, even the insurance company will take note of your attorney’s experience representing clients in similar cases. And those same insurers have detailed information on what the firms will take in cases.

The job of an insurance agent is to settle your case for as little as possible to save their company money. If you choose to represent yourself, the insurance company will offer less because you do not have the experience to know what your case is worth. They will also rush to resolve your case to limit their exposure when it comes to your medical treatment. Importantly, without an attorney, they feel that there is no threat of being sued so they will also offer less.

Once an attorney is hired, the insurance company must stop all communication with you and only speak to your attorney. Insurance companies know that attorneys have the experience and knowledge to understand what your case is worth and the value of ensuring your medical treatment is complete before discussing settlement.

Insurance companies also calculate how much it will cost them to go through discovery and litigation when providing an offer to your attorney. They know that an attorney will file a lawsuit on your behalf if they receive an offer that is less than fair compensation.

Counsel During The Process

Car accidents are stressful, not only in the moment but also in the aftermath you are left with. Dealing with insurance companies, seeking medical treatment, and handling any resulting property damage can be overwhelming. Engaging with your legal team allows you to lighten your mental and emotional load so that you can focus on feeling better while knowing the case is in great hands.

As your case proceeds, you will receive regular communication updating you on the status of your case. Your personal injury lawyer will ensure that you understand the next steps along the way and help to answer any questions you have. They will guide you and provide sound counsel for any necessary decisions that need to be made. However, if you are not having regular communication with your attorney, you may need to consider hiring someone else who cares about your and your case.

Beers & Gordon Is Here To Help

An experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to guide their clients throughout the entire process, acting quickly on their behalf to gather facts on the case and, if needed, argue those facts for you in court.

Our team at Beers & Gordon is here to help you obtain the compensation you are owed. We will utilize our 70+ years of combined experience and knowledge to work on your behalf, and our team will ensure that you are cared for every step of the way. You will have direct access to the attorneys from the first meeting until the last and also have experienced staff who care about you as a person and not as a recovery.

If you have been injured in a car accident, contact our team to discuss your case and how hiring a personal injury attorney will benefit you.