In a personal injury practice, an attorney typically will resolve their case through settlement. The amount of cases that go to trial are typically not nearly as close to the number of those settled. There are statistics that state one out of ten cases will go to trial.
The way that a case settles is that the case must be worked up correctly. As a Personal Injury Lawyer, I first need to go obtain the accident report, medical reports, witness statements and any diagnostic test (MRI, x-ray, CT scans). I then need to contact the physician who is treating my client and get a narrative report of what exactly is wrong with the client. This will detail whether my client has a permanent injury or needs future treatment such as a surgery or injections.
After all of the documents are obtained, I will then put together a demand package which is an outline of your lawsuit. This is in written form and typically involves two to three inches of documents to back up my client’s claim. I will then submit that to the insurance company and allow then thirty days to pay the claim. The client and I will discuss the value of the case prior to the demand being sent to the insurance company. I rely on prior jury verdicts to obtain the range of your settlement.
If a settlement is not obtained, then we will file a lawsuit. This involves filing a complaint in the county where you were injured and an insurance defense lawyer will surface. The case will go through discovery and ultimately you will arrive at mediation. Mediation is a settlement conference and this too is a place that you can settle your claim.
If you need help settling your claim in a motor vehicle/automobile accident, please do not hesitate to call me at 407-315-2182 or contact me online.
