When you file a personal injury lawsuit against someone, you may likely be asking for a certain amount of money owed to you due to the injury you have received. If you win, you will be entitled to an award of money damages. At the outset of the case, you may tell the defendant how much you seek, or you may decide not to set a specific amount up front, and instead claim unspecified amount of damages.
You will likely claim your actual costs that resulted from your injuries. These costs may include medical expenses, travel expenses, therapy costs, etc. To make sure you are compensated for all of your costs, you should be very careful to keep all receipts, bills, charges, and all other evidence of the costs attributed to your injuries.
You may also require the person who caused your personal injuries to reimburse you for your lost wages or lost earnings to date. To help your attorney figure out what your lost wages or lost earnings are, make sure to write down your detailed employment history. You will also want to discuss with your personal injury lawyer any future employment opportunities you may have missed out on due to your injury. For example, you should consider any possible promotions you may have received, but did not receive. You should also consider any salary raises that you did not receive, or salary raises that would have been higher if you did not receive your personal injury.
You may also ask to be reimbursed for time that you were unable to work due to your injury. This may include time that is not reimbursed by your employer as well as time that is reimbursed by your employer, such as sick leave time and vacation time.
If you are thinking about suing someone for a personal injury inflicted on you, make sure you speak with a qualified personal injury attorney about your case. In order to make sure you receive the most money possible, you will want to discuss all of the above issues with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney will help you maximize your personal injury award. To speak with a personal injury lawyer near you, click on your state at the left.
What Information Should I Give to My Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you have suffered injury at the hands of another, you may be considering filing a personal injury claim against that person. You are probably searching the internet, looking for a lawyer you would be interested in consulting with to discuss your potential lawsuit. Perhaps you have already set up a consultation with a lawyer, or several lawyers. You might be thinking, "What do I do now? What should I bring with me to the interview or consultation?"
While every personal injury lawyer conducts his or her initial consultation differently, most personal injury lawyers will want the same type of information from you at the first interview. Most personal injury attorneys will want the following information:
- background information about you, such as: employment history, current income, medical and claim history, marital status, dependents, etc.
- detailed description of accident: make sure you write down an account of the incident with as much detail as possible
- description of injuries: type of injury, parts of the body affected, type of pain suffered, all treatment received at the time of the incident and afterward
- description of the injuries' consequences: effect the injury had on your work, home life, social life, hobbies, etc.
- description of witnesses: name and contact information of those who saw what happened, may have seen what happened, saw how the injuries have affected your life, etc.
- description of potential defendants: name and contact information of those who were involved in the incident, even if only marginally involved
- description of all emergency personnel who responded to the scene or provided medical attention afterward
- description of your insurance company and your insurance coverage: bring a copy of your insurance policy if possible
- identify all possible police reports and/or accident reports that may have been written as a result of the incident
Where the documents above require you to write out a description, it is much better that you do that as soon as possible. As time passes, your memory will fade. Therefore, you do not want to wait to write down your description of the event that occurred.
By giving your personal injury lawyer this information at your initial consultation, you give your personal injury attorney the best chance to start working on your case as soon as possible. This information will also help your personal injury lawyer know what kind of case you have and it will give your personal injury attorney an idea at how strong or weak your case may be.
If you have been injured in a car accident or any other incident, make sure to speak with a qualified personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Click on your state, at the left, to find a personal injury attorney near you.
While every personal injury lawyer conducts his or her initial consultation differently, most personal injury lawyers will want the same type of information from you at the first interview. Most personal injury attorneys will want the following information:
- background information about you, such as: employment history, current income, medical and claim history, marital status, dependents, etc.
- detailed description of accident: make sure you write down an account of the incident with as much detail as possible
- description of injuries: type of injury, parts of the body affected, type of pain suffered, all treatment received at the time of the incident and afterward
- description of the injuries' consequences: effect the injury had on your work, home life, social life, hobbies, etc.
- description of witnesses: name and contact information of those who saw what happened, may have seen what happened, saw how the injuries have affected your life, etc.
- description of potential defendants: name and contact information of those who were involved in the incident, even if only marginally involved
- description of all emergency personnel who responded to the scene or provided medical attention afterward
- description of your insurance company and your insurance coverage: bring a copy of your insurance policy if possible
- identify all possible police reports and/or accident reports that may have been written as a result of the incident
Where the documents above require you to write out a description, it is much better that you do that as soon as possible. As time passes, your memory will fade. Therefore, you do not want to wait to write down your description of the event that occurred.
By giving your personal injury lawyer this information at your initial consultation, you give your personal injury attorney the best chance to start working on your case as soon as possible. This information will also help your personal injury lawyer know what kind of case you have and it will give your personal injury attorney an idea at how strong or weak your case may be.
If you have been injured in a car accident or any other incident, make sure to speak with a qualified personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Click on your state, at the left, to find a personal injury attorney near you.
When Do I Get Paid for Personal Injury?
If someone else caused you an injury, you may be considering filing a personal injury lawsuit against that person. You also may be wondering when and how you will be compensated for your injuries. When you file a lawsuit, you are in essence filing a claim in court alleging that a person or company owes you money for hurting you. You can either state the amount of money that you think you are owed, or you can state that the damages are undetermined as of yet.
If you win or settle your lawsuit, you will be paid the amount decided by a judge or jury, or the amount agreed to between you and the other party. You may also discuss with the other party the manner in which they will pay you. It may be all at once in one lump sum. Or you may be paid in installment payments: monthly, bi-monthly, semi-annually, or otherwise. There are three things that will play an important role in determining how and when you are paid: 1) the amount of the money you are awarded, 2) the financial status of the defendant, and 3) the timeline in which you will need the funds--perhaps for upcoming or past surgeries, etc. If you are paid in installments, most states require the defendant to pay interest, in the amount of 10%.
If you are looking for a personal injury lawyer, make sure to find out how much experience the lawyer has in settling the manner in which you are paid. The terms and timing of the payment can be just as important, if not more important, than the amount of the award itself. Your lawyer will also need to determine if you can get money for pain that you suffered before judgment is entered.
There are a whole host of issues that we can discuss here, but the bottom line is you should find a personal injury lawyer who knows the laws of your state well enough make sure you get the most benefit out of them, and the most amount of money at the right time. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney in your area will be able to answer other questions you might have.
If you win or settle your lawsuit, you will be paid the amount decided by a judge or jury, or the amount agreed to between you and the other party. You may also discuss with the other party the manner in which they will pay you. It may be all at once in one lump sum. Or you may be paid in installment payments: monthly, bi-monthly, semi-annually, or otherwise. There are three things that will play an important role in determining how and when you are paid: 1) the amount of the money you are awarded, 2) the financial status of the defendant, and 3) the timeline in which you will need the funds--perhaps for upcoming or past surgeries, etc. If you are paid in installments, most states require the defendant to pay interest, in the amount of 10%.
If you are looking for a personal injury lawyer, make sure to find out how much experience the lawyer has in settling the manner in which you are paid. The terms and timing of the payment can be just as important, if not more important, than the amount of the award itself. Your lawyer will also need to determine if you can get money for pain that you suffered before judgment is entered.
There are a whole host of issues that we can discuss here, but the bottom line is you should find a personal injury lawyer who knows the laws of your state well enough make sure you get the most benefit out of them, and the most amount of money at the right time. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney in your area will be able to answer other questions you might have.
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