Most people have heard of personal injury lawyers. Still, many don’t know what these types of lawyers actually do, when to call them, or how they can benefit from their services.
To put it simply, personal injury lawyers help a wide range of victims who have been injured, usually as the result of someone else’s negligence. Their primary goal is to help the victim navigate their claim and recover compensation that can help them pay for their injuries and other losses.
At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, our team has years of experience helping the people of California win their cases and walk away with high-value settlements that put money in their pockets. We are a compassionate and skilled team that understands what it takes to protect our client’s rights and ensure they are fairly compensated for their losses.
What Kind of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?
Before diving into what personal injury lawyers do, let’s look at the types of cases they handle. Personal injury is a broad term used to describe various civil cases involving negligence and injury. This can include:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- DUI accidents
- Semi-truck accidents
- Scooter accidents
- Rideshare accidents
- Wrongful death accidents
- Dog bite accidents
- And More!
What Do Personal Injury Lawyers Do?
When you are injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to file a claim for compensation for your losses or damages. And while victims can file these claims on their own without legal representation, you are more likely to win your case and get a higher value settlement with a lawyer representing you.
A California personal injury lawyer can:
- Protect your rights: Under California law, you have certain rights as an injured victim of someone else’s negligence. However, it’s not uncommon for insurance companies to take advantage when victims filing claims are unaware of their rights. So in many cases, a personal injury lawyer’s job is to step in and ensure your rights are protected so that you do not miss out on anything you deserve.
- Investigate and gather evidence: With personal injury claims, the evidence you provide can play a significant role in your case and in how much money you are awarded. But gathering that evidence on your own can be difficult. A personal injury lawyer can help you obtain evidence and provide whatever else is needed to ensure your case is handled properly.
- Consult with expert witnesses: Expert witnesses can be called upon to give official statements that can benefit a case. But getting these witnesses to agree to offer testimony can be challenging without the help of a personal injury lawyer.
- Draft legal documents: A lot of paperwork is involved in filing a claim. If anything is overlooked or if anything is misstated on any of the documents, it can negatively affect your claim. A personal injury lawyer can ensure all documentation is filled out correctly and turned in on time, avoiding any errors that could harm your case.
- Handle negotiations with insurance and other parties: When you file a claim, you will need to communicate with the other parties involved, including the guilty party, and the insurance company. However, anything you say to these parties can be used against you. So it’s important to make sure these communications are handled by a legal expert. Your personal injury attorney can also handle negotiations concerning the settlement award, ensuring you are fairly compensated.
- Represent you in court: Not all personal injury cases go to trial, but if they do, you will need professional legal representation. In many cases, a good personal injury lawyer can get all parties to settle without needing to go to court, but if a trial is necessary, your lawyer will protect your rights and help you navigate this more complex situation.
How Much Do Personal Injury Lawyers Charge?
Legal fees are a natural part of the personal injury process when you hire a lawyer. Your lawyer needs to get paid for their job the same as you do for yours. However, a good personal injury lawyer will not charge you upfront. Instead, they will provide a free case evaluation and then will only collect their payment and fees after they have won your case and helped you recover compensation.
There is no set fee or amount that lawyers can charge. However, the average is around a 30% to 40% contingency fee, which will be taken out of your settlement award.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Law Firm?
There are numerous benefits to working with a California personal injury attorney. Even an accident that results in minor injuries can turn into a complex case if not handled properly. By working with an attorney, you are more likely to win your case and recover a settlement that fully compensates you for all of your losses. You might even win such a high award that after your financial losses are covered, you walk away with money in your pocket.
Working with a personal injury lawyer can also ensure a speedier process. Though no lawyer can guarantee how long a case will take to settle, they can help things go a lot smoother, which can lead to the case reaching a conclusion more quickly. This means you can get back to your life instead of waiting around while the case drags on.
Sally Morin: One of California’s Best Personal Injury Law Firms
At Sally Morin, we are committed to excellence. We handle cases fairly and ethically, prioritize our client’s best interests, resolve cases quickly and efficiently, communicate openly, and negotiate fair settlements to put money in your pocket.
We have been helping accident victims like you for over twenty years and have success stories to prove it. Visit our website to see if our team might be a good fit for you, or get started right away with a FREE CASE EVALUATION today!
