Three Questions and Answers About Personal Injury Lawsuits
Whether it is due to slipping and falling or being involved in an automobile accident, there is a chance that you may one day need to use the legal system to obtain compensation for the damages you suffer in an accident. While this is a common use of the legal system, many individuals will not have the experience of being a plaintiff or defendant in a case, and this can lead to them having many questions that they want answered.
What Types of Factors Will Influence Your Compensation?
There are a number of issues and considerations that will be factored into the compensation that you receive. While individuals will often be primarily focused on recovering medical costs or compensation for property damages, there are other factors that will need to be considered. For example, if the victim suffered wage losses due to missing work as a result of the accident, this can also be included in the final award. Also, there can be punitive damages awarded, which are primarily awarded to punish the party responsible for the accident. Only an experienced attorney will be able to help you understand the full value of your case, and this makes obtaining a free consultation an important step to take.
Will the Trial Be Chaotic?
Individuals will often mentally picture courtrooms from movies or television when they are imagining their trial. This can lead to individuals assuming that the trial will be a chaotic experience to go through. However, trials are rigorously structured so as to be as predictable and fair for both sides as possible. While there can be surprises and other developments over the course of your case, these issues are far more likely to arise during the discovery phase of the case where the initial facts of the accident are being researched and confirmed. As a result, the actual proceedings of most trials are fairly routine and predictable; although, the final verdict can be difficult to forecast.
When Does Your Attorney Get Paid?
Paying for legal representation can be an intimidating task for those with limited financial means. Luckily, plaintiff attorneys typically only charge their clients on a contingency basis. This type of payment structure benefits clients as they will only be responsible for paying their legal expenses if compensation is recovered. Under this structure, the attorney will simply subtract their fees and expenses from the final award. You will receive a comprehensive itemized billing report that will break down these costs in detail, so that you can understand exactly what your legal expenses were.
The first step is finding personal injury attorney services and schedule a consultation to see if you have a case.