If you are harmed or injured due to the negligence of some other person, you must file for a personal injury lawsuit as it is your right to get the compensation you deserve. There is a common notion in society that it is immoral to sue for personal injuries.
There is no doubt that there have been some immoral people who exploited this provision and led to recent changes in the law, but we need to understand that such lawsuits have also stirred a sense of accountability. Therefore, we have listed here eight vital steps you must follow to file a personal injury lawsuit so that you can get the compensation you deserve.
1. Put everything in writing:
You must jot down everything about the incident right down to the minor details, and it should be done as soon as possible because you will not be able to recall all the details after a while. As a result, the opposing attorney will be able to find the loopholes in your story even if it is true, and you may end up on the losing side.
2. Gather evidence to back your claim:
Once you have tended to your medical needs, it is paramount that you start collecting evidence to support your compensation claim. It would help if you took the pictures of your injuries and the place of injury as soon as possible. Moreover, you can also engage the people who have observed the accident because they can be presented as witnesses to reinforce your claim.
3. Hire an attorney:
After collecting the necessary pieces of evidence, hire a competent lawyer like a Seattle l&i attorney because he will be able to help you in many ways. For example, a relevant attorney will be able to understand the nuances of personal injury cases in dealing with the insurance company or understanding the delaying tactics used by the opposing counsel.
Moreover, these attorneys work on no win-no fee basis, which means that they are not going to get paid if they do not win; therefore, they will be more motivated to get you the best deal.
4. Settling the claim:
The next logical step would be to notify all the defendants and send the demand letter to the insurance company of the opposing party that will mention the number of damages they are required to pay. They will then decide the fate of this claim by accepting, renegotiating, or utterly rejecting the offer.
5. Filing the lawsuit:
In case you are not happy with the counteroffer or your offer is utterly rejected by the opposing party, your lawyer must move to file the lawsuit in the appropriate court.
6. Discovery:
In this phase, both plaintiffs and defendants will look to gather evidence to support their respective positions, which will then be shared for further proceedings. In this pre-trial phase, both parties will be subjected to depositions that will involve stern cross-questioning, which will eventually decide the future of the trial. Many lawsuits are settled in this phase, and if parties are unable to come to a mutual arrangement, your case will go to trial.
7. Trial:
During the trial, both parties will present their evidence in front of a judge or jury. They will analyze the details, determine the fault, and decide whether the plaintiff should be awarded for any damages.
In a nutshell, you must always know these steps to file a personal injury claim because there is every chance that you can get injured due to someone else’s negligence.
