Personal Injury
After experiencing a catastrophic injury, you should take the following steps:
- Seek proper medical care
- Take pictures and videos of your injuries
- Preserve all evidence relevant to your injury, such as a wrecked car
- Write down or record the exact details you remember about how the injury happened
- Make a list of witnesses and contact information for each witness, if you know them
- Consult with a personal injury lawyer
Sometimes, you can be responsible for your own injury. As long as you are not more responsible for your injury than the party you are suing, you still have a case. If you can show that another party is more to blame for your injury than you are, you can be awarded compensation through a successful lawsuit. Often, there can be various elements to a catastrophic injury claim. For example, you may have been deemed the “at fault” driver for a car wreck, but a defect in the car you were driving was the ultimate cause of your catastrophic injury. If you think you have a personal injury claim, please give us a call at 1-877-SCI-FIRM.
A majority of personal injury cases do not go to trial. Many legal teams reach a settlement with the other side before their case goes to trial. However, catastrophic injury lawsuits are more likely to go to trial than lawsuits for non-catastrophic injuries.
If both sides do not reach an agreement during negotiation and mediation, they will opt to go to trial. Talk to your lawyer about whether or not your case should go to trial. Your legal team should determine the method that will maximize your compensation, whether it’s through a settlement or through a trial.
Each state has a different statute of limitations for personal injury cases. A statute of limitations refers to the amount of time someone has to file a personal injury claim after the date of their injury. Most states have a statute of limitations of 2 years for personal injury cases, meaning people only have two years to file a claim after the day they were injured. Other states have statute of limitations of 3 years, 4 years, and even 1 year. It is important to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. If you think you have a personal injury case, please give us a call at 1-877-SCI-FIRM.
A lawyer can help you collect all needed evidence for your case. A lawyer can also help you develop a strong argument for your case and navigate all the legal processes leading up to settlement or trial. Having a lawyer maximizes your chances of receiving as much compensation as possible through your lawsuit. Specifically, hiring a lawyer who has experience handling cases with your type of injury will help maximize the chances of you winning your case.
Often, personal injury lawyers do not take money upfront. Personal injury lawyers usually charge their clients a small percentage of their awarded compensation after the lawsuit is complete. Personal injury lawyers may also deduct any upfront costs from the total awarded compensation. The most important thing is to talk about the costs and fees at the outset of your representation.
Yes, you can file a personal injury lawsuit without a lawyer. However, you are much less likely to receive an ideal amount of compensation for your injuries if you do not have an attorney. The personal injury lawsuit process is complex, and you are subject to all of the same rules and regulations without a lawyer as you would be with a lawyer. Lawyers are trained to navigate the legal process successfully and with ease; without the guidance of a lawyer, you are unlikely to receive the compensation you need to cover your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Personal injury lawsuits vary greatly in the amount of time they take. Some lawsuits are settled within months after filing, while other lawsuits take one or two years to complete. The more severe your injuries are, the more time your case is likely to take. Your personal injury lawsuit can take a shorter amount of time if you opt for a settlement, and can take a longer amount of time if you opt to go to trial.
After you experience a catastrophic injury, it is essential to discuss the facts of your injury with an experienced lawyer to determine if you have a case. If another party was at fault for your injury and if there is substantial evidence to prove that they were at fault, you have a case. Here are the most common causes of injury in personal injury lawsuits:
- Car wrecks
- Medical malpractice
- Shooting/physical harm
- Defective products
- Recreational activity
- Slip and falls
- Work accidents
If you think you may have a case, please give us a call at 1-877-SCI-FIRM to discuss the facts of your case.
There is no set value when it comes to personal injury cases. Each case is unique based on the severity of a person’s injuries and how the person is injured. Catastrophic injuries like spinal cord injuries (SCI) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are often worth significantly more money than other personal injuries, such as broken arms or legs. This is because catastrophic injuries like SCI and TBI last a lifetime; the more severe the injury, the more money the case is worth. For example, successful spinal cord injury lawsuits typically exceed $1,000,000, while successful broken arm lawsuits are typically valued under $250,000. When determining how much your case is worth, your legal team will take into account your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.