A personal injury lawyer can help people who have been harmed by the negligence of others in all kinds of situations – car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle accidents, etc. Such cases may include construction accidents, falls, wrongful death, work injury, just to name a few. Many people may not have thought about how to make the most of a personal, professional relationship with a lawyer. But it becomes necessary when hiring a lawyer.
As of the end of 2022, there will have been roughly 7,000 vehicle accidents in Texas, the most in the country. This is nothing to brag about. But even this staggering number barely captures the grief, physical harm, and financial toll of car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a serious accident, your first concern should be your health, and we hope, your recovery. But the bills can pile up quickly, life may never go back to what it was before, and evidence can be lost. Reaching out to an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you concentrate on healing, as you should. When hiring a lawyer, it is important to do some homework so that you have information about the lawyer and law firm with which you will be working. It is often important to act quickly before crucial evidence is lost or the time limit on filing a lawsuit expires. Depending on the kind of injury you or a loved one has suffered, the time limit can be very short.
Call Our Texas Personal Injury Lawyers
If you have been injured in any kind of accident, reach out to us as soon as you can. An initial evaluation of your case to see if we can help will cost you nothing. Just click on this link to get the conversation started contact Kilgore & Kilgore. To learn more about out our personal injury practice, click this link Car and Truck Accidents. We focus on the big picture of helping you and your family find your way through a tough time.
Get Medical Care Right Away So You Have a Concurrent Medical Treatment Record
Even if you do not think you are hurt, go the hospital to get checked over. You might be saving yourself from further harm. Some injuries, like those sustained in a car, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents, may not be immediately obvious. Furthermore, linking medical expenses to your accident may be difficult without concurrent medical records.
What to Do Right After an Accident
You have probably known most of these tips since your first driver’s education course. But these things are important, so that they bear repeating. Stay at the scene of the accident, but out of traffic. Call the police. Call 911 if anyone is injured. Collect the names and contact information of all the drivers affected. If you are able, take photos or videos of the accident scene, injuries, debris, skid marks, road signs. Stay away from social media.
When you are injured in an accident from which you hope for reimbursement of medical care bills or money, you should carefully assemble and organize as much evidence as possible. Get receipts for payments you made in connection with the accident. All types of information are important, including medical treatment records, witness contact information, insurance policies, and insurance coverage documents.
Get the Right Legal Help for Your Personal Injury
Avoid spinning your wheels and get on track early by interviewing and hiring a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. Reputation and expertise matter. If you know someone who has been injured in a similar situation, ask for a recommendation. A solo practitioner or a newly minted lawyer might not have the depth of experience or resources of an attorney who practices with other lawyers in a law firm. As Abraham Lincoln allegedly said, “A man who represents himself has a fool for a client.” If, for example, you are suing the driver from a large interstate truck company, you should assume that they have a big, sophisticated law firm at the ready. You or your cousin Vinnie could find yourselves seriously outgunned.
Talk About the Money Upfront
Many law firms do not bill for an initial consultation. Some charge a fee, however, so be sure to ask. Personal injury lawyers commonly charge on a contingency basis. If you recover nothing, you will owe them nothing except possibly the cost of certain out-of-pocket expenses. If you do recover something, your lawyer will be entitled to a portion of it.
The Legal Process
If the lawyer you hired is unable to resolve your claim upfront, a lawsuit is the next step. A lawsuit begins with the filing of a complaint with the court. The complaint will set out your injuries, both physical and financial, how else you may have been harmed, and why you believe the other party is at fault.
Thereafter, both sides will begin to collect evidence to support their side of the argument. This stage is known as “discovery” and may involve conducting depositions (interviews conducted under oath), gathering evidence including medical care records, reports of expert accident investigators, financial records, and so on.
When discovery is complete, settlement negotiations may begin in earnest. Such negotiations often involve insurance companies. Keep in mind that settlement involves compromise, and the sign of a good compromise is that neither party is completely happy. Many personal injury lawsuits end with a settlement.
For those that do not, the next step is a trial. After the trial, either party may file an appeal and, depending on what issues are involved, the court’s decision on appeal may also be appealed.
Contact Us Regarding Your Accident and the Final Resolution
Reach out to Kilgore Law for a free review of the facts of your case. Click here to get the conversation about your situation started contact Kilgore & Kilgore.