Role Of A Grand Prairie Car Accident Attorney
If you were in a car accident, you should retain the services of an attorney as soon as possible. This is because the insurance companies have teams of lawyers and adjusters who begin evaluating their side of the claim right away. There are several things a car crash attorney could do following an accident. A lawyer could determine the cause of your accident and help you seek compensation from the responsible party. Learn about the role of a Grand Prairie car accident attorney and how you could benefit from experienced legal help.
Immediate Steps An Attorney Could Take
Initially, a lot of work has to be done following a car accident. This includes obtaining witness statements, photographs, police reports, and making sure the claimant receives the right treatment. In order to gather what evidence is necessary to verify how the accident occurred and to help establish who was at fault. That would be number one.
Recovering The Proper Records
An attorney cannot proceed until he/she is advised that they have been released by their doctor and recovered from their injuries. At that point, a car crash lawyer can begin assembling medical records, bills, employment reports, and other items that is necessary to document each element of their damages. This process takes a little time since some healthcare providers and employers are slow in preparing their reports.
Seeking a Settlement From The Insurance Company
The next step is to solicit an offer from the insurance carrier. This is another source of delay since these cases are generally reviewed by a number of insurance company employees. When an offer is received, it will be promptly sent to them for review, and the claimant and their lawyer will discuss the next steps.
If their attorney is unable to obtain a fair settlement, he/she will recommend that a lawsuit is filed. The defendants will have 30 days to file their response to the lawsuit. Sometimes there are several defendants and it may be difficult to locate. But that’s what we’re accustomed to doing.
Taking the Case to Court
After all the defendants have filed their answers and discovery proceedings are started which may include depositions, parties, witnesses, and experts. Their lawyer will assist them, instruct them every step of the way, and utilize the same discovery devices to substantiate their claim. Discovery can be time consuming and expensive depending on the complexity of the given case. But in personal injury matters, it’s a contingency fee that the client pays so the attorney funds all cost up front, so there’s no cost upfront for the client.
When discovery is complete and if a settlement is not reached, then a trial date is requested. And then it is depending on how busy the court is, which determines how quickly the court date is set. But 95 percent of all the car wreck cases settle prior to trial, but the threat of trial oftentimes results in getting the insurance carrier to offer a more firm settlement.
Retain the Services of an Experienced Attorney
There are many roles of a Grand Prairie car accident attorney. A skilled lawyer could hold the negligent party accountable for your damages and help you seek compensation for the full value of your injuries. Call today to learn about how a lawyer could help your specific situation.