If you or someone you love is hurt, you most likely have a million and one questions running through your mind such as: how are you going to pay your medical bills, can you hold someone responsible for your injuries, what happens next, etc. If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, then you have what is called a personal injury case. The outline of this type of case is as follows: contact a lawyer, schedule a consultation, your lawyer conducts an investigation and files a claim, the parties involved can choose to offer a settlement or not, and if a settlement is not offered or if you deem that it is not fair, the case goes to court.
Civil Litigation
According to a personal injury lawyer from our friends at Cohen and Cohen, a personal injury case can arrive in many forms. Some common types of cases are:
- Medical malpractice
- Slip and fall accidents
- Premises liability
- Car, truck, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents
Essentially, any time you have been injured and it was caused by someone else qualifies as a personal injury case.
Once you have been hurt, you should seek medical attention immediately. After which you should contact a lawyer for a consultation. A knowledgeable attorney will be able to take a look at your case and determine what kind of case it is, how long it will take to reach an outcome, and what kind of compensation you might receive.
Compensation will cover any costs incurred due to your injury. These costs might look like medical bills or expenses taken to replace personal items also damaged at the time of the incident such as your vehicle.
Once you have consulted with a lawyer and they have agreed to take on your case, they will conduct their own thorough investigation to compile the necessary documentation to prove someone else caused your injuries — and that said guilty party should be held liable for those damages.
This investigation will collect items such as:
- Medical records
- Police reports
- Photographs/videos
- Witness statements
With all this information in hand, your lawyer will file a claim. It is at this time that the insurance companies involved in the case may choose to offer you a settlement. It is up to your attorney to negotiate on your behalf. If you are offered an amount that is fair, you can accept it and your case ends there.
However, if your lawyer advises you that the offer you have received is not fair and that you deserve more, you then have the option to take your case to court. Personal injury law is a type of civil law. Once a personal injury case goes to court, it then becomes a civil litigation case. If you hear those vocabulary terms thrown about during your legal proceedings, do not panic as they go hand-in-hand. A skilled attorney will present your case in court, and work to ensure that your rights are protected while fighting for the compensation you deserve.
If you have more questions about what happens after you’ve incurred a personal injury and how that might tie into civil litigation, contact an attorney near you for a consultation immediately.