What does a california personal injury lawyer do?

Understand the benefits of hiring a California personal injury lawyer

It often seems like there’s an oversaturation of commercials on the radio and television these days with attorneys advertising their services if you’ve been involved in a crash. This may leave you wondering if it’s really necessary to hire an attorney for your personal injury case and if the cost of hiring one will pay off financially in the end.

To be able to make the best decision for you and your unique case, you need to understand what personal injury lawyers do, how they can help with your case, and why it’s best to contact them early on in the process before you agree to a settlement from the insurance company.

Types of personal injury cases

Personal injury law encompasses a variety of areas, and attorneys often focus on specific kinds of cases or injuries. Some examples include:

• Medical malpractice
• Slips, trips and falls
• Brain and spinal cord injuries
• Dog bites
• Car and truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Wrongful death
• Product liability

Bicycle, pedestrian, golf cart and other recreational vehicle accidents may also be classified as personal injury matters.

What types of things can a personal injury lawyer do?

California personal injury cases can be quite complicated. The laws and statute of limitations in any given case vary depending on the situation and the parties involved. A personal injury attorney understands these laws and can ensure that the necessary evidence is gathered and all filing deadlines are met.

Personal injury lawyers can negotiate with insurance companies

Additionally, personal injury attorneys are experienced in dealing with insurance companies, and if necessary, they can:

• Send demand letters outlining the facts of the case and make demands for damages
• Prepare pleadings explaining why the defendant should be held accountable for damages if they refuse to offer a fair settlement
• Initiate the discovery process in order to obtain necessary information and depose parties, witnesses and experts
• Take your case to trial if negotiations with the other party don’t result in fair compensation

An attorney’s ability to negotiate with insurance companies or 3rd parties on your behalf is often key to the success of any personal injury case.

Personal injury lawyers can help determine fault

California is an at-fault insurance state as it relates to motor vehicle accidents, which means the driver who is at fault for the accident is responsible for paying any damages. While police officers try to determine fault when they arrive at the scene of a crash, insurers will often try to fight any conclusions that implicate their driver as the at-fault party.

This is another reason why it’s helpful to have a personal injury attorney working for you. Your lawyer can interact with insurance adjusters and push back if they try to deny liability.

Personal injury lawyers can help obtain expert witnesses in complicated cases

It’s also beneficial to have an attorney involved in your personal injury case in instances where expert witnesses may need to be involved, such as medical malpractice claims.

It can be challenging to determine when a doctor has breached their duty of care. Personal injury lawyers can gather information, examine evidence and hire expert medical witnesses who can aid in deciding if medical negligence occurred and testify in your case, if necessary.

Do I need to consult a California personal injury lawyer right after an accident?

As a general rule, it’s best to contact a personal injury attorney early on in the process for a few different reasons.

Personal injury lawyers can ensure you meet all filing deadlines

Because most California personal injury cases have a 2-year statute of limitations in which you must file a case or be forever barred from suing the at-fault party, it’s always wise to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure all necessary filing deadlines are met.

Personal injury lawyers can gather and preserve essential evidence

Additionally, evidence gathered early on in a personal injury case can be essential to establishing the guilt of the other party. The quality of evidence tends to deteriorate over time, and witnesses to an accident have been known to forget important details or even change their story as time progresses.

The best way to ensure the necessary evidence is gathered and properly documented in your case is to consult a personal injury lawyer as early in the process as possible.

Personal injury lawyers can provide peace of mind

Another reason you may want to contact a personal injury early on in the process is that you’ll likely have enough to worry about after your accident without having the headache of trying to gather evidence, meet filing deadlines and negotiate with insurance companies on your own.

If the injuries from your accident left you unable to work, you might have medical bills piling up—as well as other monthly expenses—and trying to figure out how to financially provide for you and your family while trying to recover from a major injury can be too much to bear. A personal injury attorney can take many of those burdens off of your plate and allow you to heal while they focus on getting you compensation in your case.

If you’re wondering if it is worth hiring a personal injury attorney, the answer is a resounding yes. You owe it to yourself to recover the fairest settlement possible after an injury or accident has sidelined your life.

If you’ve been injured in an accident in California or Texas, the experienced personal injury attorneys at MVP Accident Attorneys are here to help. Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for our clients across California and Texas, and we’d love to help you too.

Contact us today for your free, no-obligation consultation. There’s never a fee unless we win your case.