What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

Although it's possible to receive compensation for an injury without hiring a lawyer, this is only recommended in very straightforward cases involving minor injuries. For more complicated cases, working with a personal injury lawyer in Grenada Hills helps you receive all the compensation you're entitled to. Not only that, your lawyer will be involved in your recovery in a number of other ways that will make the process much easier on you.

Negotiate with Insurance Companies

It's often possible to receive compensation directly from an insurance company. This provides you with many advantages: it takes less time and money, and you can avoid going to court. However, the goal of insurance companies is to pay as little as possible, so you can expect them to protest if you try to claim too much compensation for ongoing pain, suffering, or emotional distress. Your lawyer may be able to negotiate with the insurance company for a fairer compensation, which will end up with you receiving more money while still keeping you out of court.

Handle Important Paperwork

If you're dealing with severe injuries, your lawyer can help you take care of many of the details that you don't have time or energy to deal with. From talking with insurance companies to filing the appropriate paperwork with the courts, your lawyer will take care of moving your case forward so you can focus on your recovery.

If necessary, your attorney can also contact your creditors to arrange for a delay of payment due to your injuries. When given notice in advance–and proof of your injuries–most creditors are willing to receive delayed payments and waive any penalties.

Obtain Evidence

If you decide you need to file a personal injury lawsuit, your lawyer will spearhead the effort to obtain evidence to back up your case. While you're recovering, he or she can obtain police reports, witness statements, doctors' reports, and much more. Using all of this, your lawyer can then build a strong case to prove that another party was responsible for your injuries and demonstrate the extent of your injuries. In many cases, once sufficient evidence has been assembled, the opposing side will agree to settle out of court if they know they are likely to lose the case.

Contact Expert Witnesses

Receiving compensation for medical bills and lost wages is fairly straightforward and can usually be easily resolved. However, there's a lot more room for debate when it comes to abstract concepts like pain and emotional suffering. The more your injuries affect you long-term, the more compensation you should receive. Unfortunately, this can often be difficult to prove to a judge.

This is where expert witnesses come in. Your lawyer has a network of expert witnesses who can support your case and help you receive more compensation for severe injuries. This is also why it's so important to work with an experienced attorney, who is familiar with experts in your area and can find the right person for the job.

Present Your Case Finally, your personal injury lawyer in Granada Hills will present your case to a judge if your lawsuit goes to trial. While you can technically take the case to court yourself, a lawyer knows what needs to be done and said in order to get you the most compensation possible. Your lawyer should already have a good relationship with the court and judges in your area, and can use his or her experience and knowledge of legal precedents to help you win your case.