A personal injury attorney is someone who represents clients who are a victim of physical or mental injury caused by another party. The other party can refer to another person, a group of people or a business. It is customary for a lawsuit to be filed against the responsible parties to get the victim compensation.

There are many different types of personal injury claims. Physical injury refers to bodily harm as the result of the negligent actions of another party. This could include falling due to a slippery floor, a car accident, burns from hot coffee and a lot of other scenarios. Mental injury refers to emotional stress and psychosomatic syndromes resulting from another parties negligence. A personal injury attorney represents his or her client so they can be compensated for their injuries.

Some cases are settled very quickly. A settlement is an agreed upon monetary amount that is paid to the injured party to cover their loss of wages, pain, suffering and future pain and suffering. Both attorneys will have a hand in writing up a document for their clients to sign that ends the lawsuit. It will come with an agreement that neither party will not take future action on the claim. A good personal injury attorney will make sure that the settlement amount covers everything from their medical bills to their client\’s attorney fees. This will ensure that their client has been fully compensated for the injury they sustained. It make take a couple settlement offers before both parties can agree. Oftentimes this process can stretch out two years but it is important for victims to be patient. This will ensure the best possible results.

A personal injury attorney will collect evidence on their clients behalf. They will require all medical bills, hospitalization records, the length of time their client was out of work and wage statements. They will look to doctors to give them an opinion and documentation in regards to the long term complications of the injury. If injuries are permanent the process make take awhile as it can be quite awhile before a doctor knows if their patient is permanently disabled. A good attorney will wait and advise his client to turn down any offer made during this time, as a permanent disability yields higher compensation as it should because it means that their client will not be able to work.

A personal injury attorney will handle all of the discovery involved in a personal injury case. Before going to trial or looking into settlement options the court will require that both attorneys share their evidence with each other. This is called discovery. This will allow a victim\’s attorney to really look into the other parties case and see their defense and then come up with a good strategy to overcome it. Not all parties, especially insurance companies, are willing to pay what they owe to a victim. A good attorney will use the discovery process to question them. However, this means that the victim will also be questioned under oath. A personal injury attorney will brief his client on the process making it as painless as possible for them. It is important that all parties are honest.

After the discovery process has ended, it is time for depositions. A personal injury attorney will set up a time for their client, and others involved, to answer more questions. At this point a court stenographer will take inventory of everything that is said. A good personal injury will protect his client at this time by objecting to any harassing or misleading questions. Both attorneys will have a chance to question the parties involved.

Pre-trial motions are the last step before arbitration or settlement conferences. Pre-trial motions would include dismissals, objecting to evidence and other motions. The mediation process is most times required before personal injury cases go to trial. A third party mediator listens to all evidence and then tries to help both parties agree on a settlement. An arbitrator is a little different. This person behaves like a judge and makes determinations in the case. This is usually the last step in the process. In most personal injury cases a settlement is reached.

If a settlement cannot be agreed upon then the personal injury case goes to trial. A personal injury attorney will represent his client in the trial to the best of his abilities. A personal injury attorney is a victim\’s best bet to make sure they get the results that they want. Most personal injury cases do settle because trials are very expensive for all parties involved including the court system. No matter what a good attorney is going to stand by and stand up for his client. A client should expect an open door policy and a private relationship with their attorney. The best attorneys are selected by their experience and their reputation.

Author Bio: http://www.personalinjurylawyerz.com/tx-personal-injury-attorney.html

Category: Legal
Keywords: Personal Injury Accident Attorney, Personal Injury Lawyer