A Personal injury lawyer is a legal professional who helps accident victims obtain compensation for their injuries and losses. They can assist with complex legal procedures, confusing medical terms, and mounds of paperwork that often accompany such cases. They can also negotiate with insurance claims adjusters to get the maximum amount of compensation possible for their clients.
The first thing that a Personal Injury lawyer will do is gather all relevant documents to help establish your accident’s cause. This includes your doctor’s statements, your medical bills, and other evidence like video footage of the accident scene or eyewitness statements. They will use these pieces of evidence to prove that the liable party’s actions caused your injuries. They will also gather information to demonstrate your losses, such as your past and future medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and other tangible financial damages. Your attorney may also request expert witness testimony to support their claim that the liable party is responsible for your damages.
It is not uncommon for accidents to involve multiple defendants. In this case, your NYC injury lawyer will have to determine who is liable for your damages. This could be the at-fault driver and their auto insurance carrier, a manufacturer and their product liability insurer, or a negligent doctor and their medical malpractice insurer. They will also prepare interrogatories (written questions) and depositions (questioning under oath) to ask the other parties for more information about what happened to you.
When your attorney has enough proof to prove that the liable party is responsible, they will begin negotiating a financial settlement with them. If they do not agree to offer you a fair amount, your injury attorney can file a lawsuit against them.
If you are seeking compensation for emotional distress, your injury attorney will have to prove that the liable party’s behavior caused you severe emotional trauma that had a negative impact on your life. They will have to provide medical records and testimony from experts to show that your traumatic experience caused you to suffer mental anguish.
In some cases, you may be able to sue for strict liability instead of negligence. This is most common with products that are defective, dangerous activities, and extreme actions. A skilled Manhattan injury lawyer can prove these types of claims with evidence such as video footage, photos, expert witness testimonies, and witness statements.
Despite the best efforts of your injury attorney, it is not unusual for some insurance companies to deny your claim or only offer you a small fraction of what you deserve. In this case, your injury lawyer can file a lawsuit against the defendants to get the justice you deserve. They will be able to convince the jury that you are rightfully entitled to a higher amount of damages. They will also have the resources to pay for any experts you need to present at trial to explain your losses in more detail than the insurance company can.