If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by someone else, that person is responsible for covering your expenses that result from the accident, including medical expenses and lost wages. This is why it is important that you contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. While you can take care of this yourself, you are going to fare much better when you have a lawyer on your side. In fact, most people receive larger settlements when they have legal help. Because you don't know all of the ins and outs of the law, you may miss out on something by representing yourself.

The first thing your lawyer will do is determine who is at fault. In other words, who is responsible for damages? This will determine if your claim will hold up in court, and the amount of damages you should receive. Once these things have been determined, your personal injury lawyer will:

File The Claim

The first step in any personal injury case, once the information has been gathered, is to file the claim against the defendant. There may be a very short window of time for this claim to be filed, and having a personal injury lawyer will ensure that everything is done on time. If you do not have a lawyer and you are unable to file the claim because you are still receiving medical treatment, you may miss that window. Then, you will not be able to file a claim at all.

Court Appearances

If you are lucky, the defendant and their insurer will accept your claim, and you will receive the damages specified. But, the other party may not accept your claim, and then you will have to take the case to court. Your personal injury lawyer will represent you in court, negotiate with the defendant and their lawyer, and ensure that you will be treated fairly. An experienced lawyer will make sure that everything goes smoothly, and that you get everything that you are entitled to.

Settlements

Once both parties have come to an agreement about a settlement for the case, the personal injury lawyer will take care of all of the little details. These include making any outstanding payments (medical bills, unpaid utilities while you were out of work, etc.), taking their own fee from the settlement amount, and making sure that you get the remainder of the funds owed to you.

For more information, contact a law firm like Marquard & Associates.