There is no shortage of commercials on radio and television asking people to call your company if they have been injured in an accident. Behind most of these commercials is an injury attorney. His job is to take care of clients who have been injured in a car accident or injured on the job or suffered some type of pain for which someone else might be responsible. This is their legal specialty and you should call one if you feel like you have a case. Many of these attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means you won’t have to shell out a penny unless they win your case. Of course, this also means that these attorneys choose who they accept as a client.
The first step in filing a compensation claim is finding an injury attorney who can help you. Those commercials you hear can be a good starting point, but you should never choose your representation based on that alone. Be sure to consider other factors before making your final decision. Check their references and see if the bar association has anything negative to say about them. Use the Internet. In today’s information world, there is certainly no need to hire a lawyer in the dark.
Once you have found an injury attorney willing to take your case, you can begin the filing process. The defendant will be notified of the filing and may use this intervening time to offer a settlement or reach some type of resolution. Speaking of resolutions, this is another factor that should influence your choice of injury attorney. If they have a proven track record of making deals and you want the case to go to court, the relationship may not be compatible. If you want to go before a jury, look for a trial dog that will fight tooth and nail for your case. If you prefer to reach some kind of settlement, look for a lawyer who is good at getting his clients to agreeable settlements.
If no agreement is reached, the case will go to trial. At trial, you will have to present proof that not only were you injured in some way, but that the defendant is legally responsible for your injuries. However, even that is not enough. In most cases, he will need to show that he has suffered some type of loss due to the injuries he has sustained. This gives a monetary value to the claim, which the jury can then decide to award if the case goes in your favor. In some cases, punitive damages may also be awarded.