What is Involved in a Personal Injury Case?
Personal injury cases require a huge time commitment and a lot of paperwork. Here is a list of the tasks that your personal injury attorney may do for you in a case while you rest and recover. Remember that each case is different, and that not all of these tasks will be required in every case:
- Initial interview with the client (by the Intake Specialist)
- Educate client about personal injury claims
- Gather documentary evidence including police accident reports, medical records and bills
- Analyze the client’s insurance policy to see whether there are any coverages that the client has that may pay all or a portion of the medical bills while the claim is pending
- Analyze the client’s insurance coverages and make suggestions as to what coverages should be purchased for future protection
- Interview known witnesses
- Collect other evidence, such as photographs of the accident scene
- Talk to the client’s physicians or obtain written reports from them to fully understand the client’s condition
- Analyze the client’s health insurance policy or welfare benefit plan to ascertain whether any money they spent to pay your bills must be repaid
- Analyze the validity of any liens on the case. Doctors, insurance companies, welfare benefit plans and employers may assert that they are entitled to all or part of the client’s recovery
- Contact the insurance company to put them on notice of the claim, if this has not already been done
- Decide with the client whether an attempt will be made to negotiate the case with the insurance company or whether a lawsuit shall be filed
- If suit is filed, prepare the client, witnesses and healthcare providers for depositions
- Prepare written questions and answers and take the deposition of the defendant and other witnesses
- Produce to the defendant all of the pertinent data for the claim, such as medical bills, medical records, and tax returns
- Go to court to set a trial date
- Prepare for trial and/or settlement before trial and prepare witnesses and client
- Organize the preparation of medical exhibits for trial
- Organize the preparation of demonstrative exhibits for trial
- Prepare for mediation and/or arbitration
- File briefs and motions with the court to eliminate surprises at trial
- Take the case to trial with a jury or judge
- Analyze the jury’s verdict to determine if either side has good grounds to appeal the case
- Make recommendations to the client as to whether or not to appeal the case
