A personal injury lawyer is someone who provides legal representation for an injured individual – specifically, individuals who have been injured in accidents that were not their fault. 

Whether it be an intentional injury or an injury caused due to negligence on another party’s part, personal injury lawyers work hard to find justice for victims whose injuries have caused extensive physical, emotional, and financial stress. 

Personal injury lawyers do a lot of different things for their clients, advocating in many ways to ensure great compensation for victims of personal injury. 

What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

There are many steps a personal injury lawyer has to take in the journey to receive compensation for their client. Allow us to take you step by step!

Investigate the Accident  

After an accident resulting in personal injury, a lot of people feel shaken, distraught, and even traumatized from the incident. Most victims do not have any interest in constantly reliving their trauma throughout the investigation. This is where a personal injury lawyer comes in.

To simplify it, when a person decides to work with a personal injury lawyer following an accident, they will have a meeting in which the affected party gives a detailed account of what happened while the lawyer takes notes. Following this, the lawyer will ask a series of questions regarding the incident. 

The lawyer can do a plethora of other things in the investigation, such as visiting the scene where the accident occurred, talking to any witnesses, and following up with city officials or the police department to see what kind of information they can obtain that will benefit their cases – such as an accident report or surveillance footage. 

All of these things will help the lawyer build a better case for their client and ensure that they are receiving the maximum compensation. 

Investigate the Claims

Following an injury, many people may rack up medical bills, miss shifts at work, experience property damage, and have negative physical and emotional side effects. As unfortunate as all of these things are, the lawyer will use it to benefit their client in the long run. 

The grief and stress a client experiences following an injury will establish the other party’s liability in the incident. It also increases the amount of money a client will get back after the settlement or jury verdict. 

Typically, personal injury lawyers operate on a no-win no fee basis, meaning they don’t get paid until their client does. Due to this, and also due to the amount of tedious work a lawyer must put into the case, they do a pretty intensive screening with a potential client to check the facts of the situation and the merit of the accusing individual. 

A lawyer will not take a case if they don’t believe that it will result in a win for their client. 

Negotiating with the Insurance Companies 

Personal injury lawyers, and all lawyers in general, are trained to negotiate in a way that untrained people would not be capable of. They have the ability to debate with insurance companies in an effective and eloquent way to get the maximum compensation for their clients. 

For example, if a client is injured in a car accident in which they were not at fault, a personal injury lawyer will contact the at-fault party’s insurance company to negotiate compensation for the accident. 

When you hire a personal injury lawyer, they will also handle all correspondence with insurance companies. This is to ensure that you are not lowballed. 

Unfortunately, a lot of people who experience a personal injury and go through the legal process without hiring a lawyer will not receive enough compensation from the insurance company to truly make up for all of their suffering and any losses. 

Preparing the Pleadings

In the event that the guilty party’s insurance fails to offer the injured party a fair settlement, a personal defense attorney will serve the insurance with court documents to further negotiate. 

On top of being trained to negotiate with insurance companies, lawyers are also well-versed in court proceedings and will be able to advocate for a client and get the best possible verdict. 

How to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

Following an accident in which you find yourself injured, you will likely be overwhelmed and frustrated. The stress of an incident such as this is something that no one wants to deal with. 

You may not have ever thought that you would be in a situation where you need to hire a legal counsel, but it happens to more people than you may think. It is also not as daunting as one may seem. Luckily, there are just a few easy steps you need to take in order to hire a great personal injury lawyer. 

Step One

Document everything immediately after the incident. Take photos, get contact information of any witnesses, and keep the paperwork from any immediate medical attention that you receive. 

It’s important to take note of the small details, as it decreases the amount of leg work that you need to do further on in the process. 

Step Two

The next step is to find a lawyer that suits your needs. There are many ways to do this. 

One option is to get a personal referral. Ask around in your personal network, it is very likely that one of your friends, family members, or business colleagues have found themselves in a situation similar to yours. 

Even if their experience was not in personal injury, you can also contact the lawyer to ask for a referral to a personal injury lawyer. 

Lawyers are a tight-knit group and certainly want what is best for those who have suffered a personal injury, even if that is not their area of expertise. They will be more than happy to refer you to someone who can help.

If you are not interested in divulging your experience to the people in your life, which is understandable and common. A lot of people find their injuries are too emotionally distressing to recount with those who know them personally. Another great option is to check out your local bar association. 

The Utah Bar Association has a great network of personal injury lawyers. You can browse these and find a law firm that will best suit your needs. 

Step Three

The third step is to do your research. Even if you get a referral from a trustworthy friend or find a lawyer from the bar association that you think will be a great fit, it is still crucial to do a ton of research prior to signing any legally binding documents.

In the digital age, you can get a ton of information about law firms in your area online. Reviews, testimonies, and even the firm’s website will provide you with a lot of knowledge about their legal processes. 

Most personal injury lawyers also have a section on their website where they discuss their education, experience, bar affiliations, and professional memberships or licenses. 

When you choose an attorney, be sure to look at their scope of practice areas. Some offices offer a wide scope of injury coverage, while others may only specialize in things like auto accidents. 

You may want to choose a lawyer who specializes in your specific type of injury, so you can ensure you are working with somebody who is very familiar with handling cases similar to yours. 

The Last Step

The final step in finding a lawyer is to attend a consultation. Many opt to meet with several different lawyers before settling on one to ensure they have a personal connection with who they determine should represent them. 

Many law firms offer free consultations, which is a great benefit to take advantage of. 

When you do go in for your consultation, make sure to bring all the documents you accumulated following your injury. The lawyer will need to see all photos, medical documents, and have a good idea of what kind of negative side effects you have experienced in the aftermath. 

Also, have any questions you may have prepared before the consultation – and don’t be afraid to ask as many as you need to. 

Personal Injury Lawyer in Hurricane, Utah

In conclusion, the aftermath of a personal injury can be incredibly distressing and finding a lawyer is a daunting task. An accident is not something you can prepare for, which leads to a lot of physical, financial, and emotional distress for those affected. 

If you are looking for a great personal injury lawyer in the Hurricane, Utah area, consider Ruesch & Reeve Law Firm. We understand the trauma of personal injury and want to do everything we can to alleviate some of the stress and get you the best possible outcome in your settlement. 

We are skilled at representing the interest of injured individuals and have recovered millions of dollars for our previous personal injury clients. At Ruesch & Reeve, we want to make sure you get the fair settlement that you deserve following injury.