When someone else damages your car, you need to act fast. If you don’t contact a Memphis personal injury attorney immediately, there’s no chance for the damages to be mitigated.
There are many different ways that personal injury lawyers can be of use nowadays. One of the most common you might run into is when a person gets injured in an accident and goes to court with the help of their lawyer. When a company hires an attorney, the law firm likely is performing some type of legal work for them. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed on these occasions, but it may not be the attorney’s fault. You shouldn’t be mad about having an attorney. They’re there for your protection and to help you figure out how to make legal moves.
When you have an accident, it can be a lot to deal with. Medical bills, long-term care, and so much more all add stress. Accidents can also lead to other opportunities for you or your company. If you are the injured party in a car accident, it’s your job to explore potential liability for the accident and what the responsible parties might consider fair payments. Legal support from a personal injury firm can provide you with the guidance and the support necessary to help you reach an agreement on compensation. Choosing the right personal injury attorney will take some consideration on your part. Before we can look at the details of choosing a team to represent you, however, we must first look at the details of personal injuries in general.
Becoming a Memphis personal injury lawyer is easier than you think. If you need professional help with your case, contact Wright & Gray for a consultation today.
What is Personal Injury?
Personal injury is a civil law term. If someone’s suffering damages because of an accident or social wrong, then they can file a claim against the person who caused that damage. Personal injury law is a very broad category, and each type of case can have its own different laws. The plaintiff is the person bringing the lawsuit as damages from an incident that allegedly caused them pain or suffering. What are some things a person who is pursuing legal action should know?
Statute of Limitations
In some instances, it can take up to two years for people to file a personal injury suit after an accident has taken place. Tennessee law only allows this window of time to last for one year.
Liability
Tennessee has a rule known as comparative fault, which reduces the amount of a settlement by a value that corresponds to the amount of fault the plaintiff had in causing their own accident.
Burden of Proof
Taxpayers who have been harmed by an avoidable accident have a lower burden of proof than would be required for criminal cases, and that’s the case here as well. For taxpayers who have been harmed in this way, they need to show that the at-fault parties acted negligently refused to honor their burden of care.
How Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?
As soon as you find yourself in this kind of situation, one of the things that you’ll realize is that you’re not well prepared to handle the fallout. You might have to deal with insurance companies, others knocking on your door, or any number of other issues. If you’re injured in a car accident or truck accident, try to find an attorney that specializes in personal injury law. There, lawsuits related just to your situation will take all the time and effort out of sorting through the legal process. Among these are:
The Defendant’s Insurance Company Denies your Claim
There are several reasons why an insurer may not pay out a claim, but you should be prepared for any situation. Insurance is all about managing risk so that the company can make profit, meaning that some will deny claims without profit in mind and without care for the injured party’s well-being. Are you expecting a settlement that is lower than what you deserve? Unfortunately, this might be true if your attorney doesn’t take enough time to investigate the situation. An attorney with experience might help determine who’s the negligent party and help get the best outcome for all parties involved in your case. The insurer may want to challenge the investigation, but the lawyer will be able to offer sufficient evidence to show you are not at fault for the incident.
No Communication From the Insurer
We’ve all been in the unfortunate situation where an insurance company turns down a claim or doesn’t respond at all, despite following guidelines. It’s excruciating when you have to wait for weeks on end or even months to get your claim settled. Not all personal injury cases are taken care of with their own statute of limitations. So, since lawyers will have more playing time, you might want to consider hiring one that represents your best interests! Often, when you’re involved in an accident, you’re likely to have some issues with the insurance companies. This is because they have a very high turn-around rate. You should be contacting your insurers every day and writing letters as well to try and get them to respond faster or provide a quicker turnaround time.
The Insurance Company Low balls You
Insurance companies try to cheat people from a settlement in a motor vehicle accident or motorcycle accident. One of their underhanded tactics is to contact people who suffered injuries and offer them less than what they can get from law enforcement. The victims in this case may not realize that they need long term care from injuries, and some of them might agree to settle for a small amount knowing that it won’t compensate for their future medical needs. The likely financial outcome of other issues like property damage or catastrophic injuries doesn’t even register on these small settlements, while you’re still left with a major headache. The use of super lawyers in cases like these can help the clients turn their low offers into much better outcomes, fitting fair compensation for the injured party.
The Insurance Firm Doesn’t Negotiate
If you are offered a settlement that is much lower than what you’re asking for, it is important to stress just how much they’d be able to save finding out the truth. Bottom line: Insurers who don’t want to settle will try and shut down your negotiations in hopes that you give up. You might be writing this down on the back of a napkin in your lawyer’s office, or picking it up from “The Lawyer” website. There are many reasons to invest in an attorney who represents clients with a strong suite of skills, including negotiation abilities. In fact, if you consider it your responsibility to get insurers back to the negotiating table and before the first critical hour passes, hire one now!
Connect with a Memphis Personal Injury Lawyer
At Wright & Gray, we know just what you’re going through. With our thorough knowledge of the law, you can be sure that when you come to us, we’ll make it easy for you to get the relief that’s best for your situation. We can help you recover from the events in your life that might have been difficult. Our ready-to-go legal representation will guide you through any process you have in mind.
Key Elements in Selecting Legal Representation
If you are in a situation where you need legal help, having someone who has legal experience can provide the extra bit of confidence needed. Choosing a team that brings this skill set to the table is critical. If a friend or family member has used the law firm in the past, it can make up your mind for you! Looking online for reviews from people who have actually hired a lawyer is also an option. Consulting with a team of attorneys will help you make up your mind in the initial consultation on who to choose.
Your personal injury attorney should have a reputation for taking on complex liability claims. He or she will be able to offer you valuable legal resources, as well as any support you need to recover from your injuries. The best lawyers will have a track record spanning several scores of cases and even hundreds. You should speak to them about what sorts of claims they’ve won in the past, and how many successes they’ve had. They can give you experience in personal injury law and offer services on contingency fee bases, ensuring that clients get the best quality of service from them and no surprises on their end.
A lawyer is an invaluable resource to have when you need legal assistance, like proving your case with expert witness testimony. They can also find useful information such as medical records and police reports for you. There are generally more experienced attorneys out there than it may seem, so consider a team of legal experts that might be more capable of providing the evidence that would be needed to bring your point across. Super lawyers will always seek out medical professionals authorities to help you, especially on your injury claims. They have had previous clients with similar cases, and they know how to work closely with the underwriter without compromising integrity. This can help you a lot in the future. One legal team near you has decades between them, meaning you will make your case successfully. This combined experience should make it easier than ever before to win.
Personal Injuries and Settlements
In most cases, plaintiffs are asked to settle with the insurance company. These settlements are only commensurate with the injury that person sustains and can go up to $250,000. The legal proceedings include physical injuries offer no compensation for emotional trauma. Close calls have been a part of the work environment for as long as humans have been able to do their best. Workers are unfortunately susceptible to injuries that can lead to physical or financial scars. Injuries like these make it necessary for organizations to be more proactive in providing safety measures, something that may cost them some money in the short-term but will ultimately save them time and effort down the road. Costs of medical care can be one of the factors taken into consideration in a lawsuit and if a plaintiff has had to get hospitalized or take medication, they may end up with less to recoup total damages. Those physical damages are only part of the total settlement amount, though.
Additional economic damages may result not only from physical damage, but emotional distress and trauma as well. When your lawyer makes their initial settlement demands on the responsible party, they may include details about this too. If something goes to trial, your plaintiff letter can be part of their evidence. This is often a big part of proving clear cases of guilt entitlements in the courtroom. This maximum compensation may be over $5 million dollars, depending on the injury.