A personal injury lawsuit derives from any incident where an individual suffers fatal, physical and/or emotional injuries. Examples include car accidents, slip and falls, construction site accidents, dog bites, burn injuries, food poisoning or using defective products.
In a personal injury lawsuit, you can recover economic damages, which include past and future medical bills, property damage and past and future income.⯠You can also recover non-economic damages, i.e. pain and suffering.
If you are involved in a car accident, obtain the other driver’s name, address, driver’s license number, insurance and vehicle information, even if you feel no pain.⯠Remember, people often do not feel immediate pain because of a release of endorphin in the body.⯠If you are injured in a fall, find out what caused your fall and if possible, take pictures.⯠Also, report the incident to the proper person, such as the manager.
Do not talk about the cause of the incident with anyone.⯠Remember, things you say to anyone other than your attorney are generally not privileged and are discoverable.
You should seek medical care as soon as possible.⯠Early treatment is beneficial to you and your case.⯠If you cannot afford paying for treatments, an attorney may be able find you a provider who will treat you on a lien basis and you do not have to pay for the treatments until your case settles.â¯
Also, remember that most personal injury attorney’s work on a contingency basis, meaning that they take no money from you unless you obtain a settlement or judgment against the adverse party.â¯
Generally, your attorney will negotiate with the adverse party’s insurer to try to settle before filing a lawsuit.⯠If negotiations break down, you will then need to file a lawsuit.⯠Once filed, a good attorney will walk you through the lawsuit.⯠Be mindful that the only time you need to personally appear in court will likely be for trial, and since 98 percent of cases settle before trial, you may never have to personally appear in court.
You should never feel guilty or embarrassed for filing a lawsuit.⯠Filing a lawsuit is the best way to protect yourself. You need medical attention to resolve your current pain so that you won’t suffer from no long-term effects.
For more information, please call The Mason Law Firm, 27240 Turnberry Lane, Suite 200 in Valencia at 661-362-0805 or email mr.law@scvlawcenter.com .