What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?

Many people in Philadelphia get injured daily and suffer from a wide variety of personal injuries. Many times, injuries or death caused by an accident are not the fault of the injured person. Therefore, a bit of advice from a skilled personal injury lawyer can protect the injured person. This will also help in receiving compensation for their injuries.

Legal advice from a knowledgeable Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer will help the injured person or their family to file a personal injury claim to compensate for the economic and non-economic losses caused by the injury. An experienced lawyer will be able to explain the legal process to the injured person and their family, as well as represent their legal interests in negotiations with insurance companies.

A capable personal injury lawyer can support an injured person in the following ways:

Determine all the damages for the injured person

The fundamental goal of seeking compensation for the damages to the injured people is to help them restore their health and return to the position they were in before the accident. However, this is impossible if a person has become disabled or suffered from any permanent injuries or death.

The awarding of monetary compensation is one way in which the legal system can help the injured individual or the family members of the person who died from their injuries. A personal injury lawyer will investigate the case and identify all the damages that have arisen because of the injury.

The parties who are liable to pay the compensation have a legal responsibility to pay off all the pain and suffering to the victim. Sometimes, insurance companies also intervene and they are held liable to pay off all the debts of the injured person. The victim suffering from the personal injury will be getting paid for the following damages:

Medical treatment including the present, past and future expenses spent due to the injury.
Lost wages, if after the injury a person is unable to go to work or his or her earning potential is affected.
Emotional stress, including pain and suffering due to the injury.
Disfigurement or scarring suffered in an accident.
Loss of body parts or permanent disability.
Loss of companionship of family members.

When the economic losses are calculated they will be added together to produce a sum, which will be referred to in possible settlement negotiations with insurance companies.

Establishing legal liability for Accidents

In a personal injury case, whether it is the individual or any other entity who was responsible for the injury, or whether it was due to negligent business, everyone has a legal responsibility to act mindfully and carefully to avoid harming another person. If an individual or business breaches that duty and their negligence leads to the injury or death of someone else, then they can be considered liable.

In cases where injuries are caused by the negligence of another, the negligent party will need a valid legal defense. Some common causes of personal injuries include:

Product Liability: A company may compromise on quality and develop a defective product in order to earn more profits. These products can then be dangerous for the individuals using them.
Auto Accident: A careless or drunk driver may drive without focus, resulting in an auto accident that causes injury to another motorist or pedestrian.
Slip and Fall Accident: If a property owner forgets to warn the visitors about an unsafe condition that exists inside the premises of their property, then it can lead to a fatal slip and fall accident.
Medical Malpractice: When the medical staff or the doctor treating a patient ends up harming the patient more, it can be considered medical malpractice.
Wrongful death: When an accident caused by a negligent individual becomes the reason for another person’s death, then it comes under wrongful death.

Essential steps that must be taken by a Personal injury lawyer

Discuss your case with the lawyer, as he or she will be able to tell you whether you are eligible to make a claim.
Your lawyer will start investigating the case in-depth along with analyzing every minute detail regarding the case. This will include viewing your medical bills, speaking to any witnesses, or seeing the other important documents.
Some lawyers may demand to know more information about you, as this will help him or them to understand the case in a better way.
The attorney will also see to what extent your life has been impacted by the accident and what will be fair compensation for your losses.
After scrutinizing every fact, the lawyer will reach out to the insurance company or the party liable for your losses.
The lawyer will see how the other party responds and how much they are willing to pay you.
If they offer to pay less than the amount your lawyer determined was fair, your lawyer can file a lawsuit against the party so that you may receive a fair award.
After the lawyer files suit, the discovery process will be started, which can include requesting certain information from the liable party as well as taking live depositions of the party or any relevant witnesses.

All of these crucial steps require a thorough analysis of what legal strategy would suit the particular case the best. This is why a personal injury lawyer has a key role to play in your case, as they can guide you and strive for adequate compensation for your losses.