A Guide To Injury Claim From Start To Finish
How an Injury Lawyer Can Help
If you're trying to secure compensation for medical expenses and lost wages, or for pain and suffering, an injury lawyer can assist. They can also deal with aggressive tactics employed by employers, insurance companies and even some health experts.
Injury lawyers choose to specialize in their field. This gives them the ability to acquire extensive understanding and expertise in the field.
Damages

If you suffer an injury due to the negligence of another the damages that result can cause financial, physical and emotional stress for you and your family. A personal injury lawyer is able to assist you in recovering these losses through the process of filing an accident claim or lawsuit against the responsible party. Damages are the remedy that you seek from the negligent defendant and are categorized as punitive, compensatory or general.
Compensatory damages are measurable costs that can be substantiated in specific dollar amounts like medical bills and lost wages. A jury or judge will look at these costs and determine an amount which is fair to compensate you.
Future medical expenses and loss of quality of life can be estimated using medical expert's testimony and expert witnesses. When calculating these costs, it is important to keep meticulous receipts and records. Your attorney for injuries may consult with medical experts to learn about your particular diagnosis and limitations, as well as the likely impact on your future.
Valuing non-economic damages such as pain and suffering is more difficult. injury law firm glendale is essential to work with an experienced lawyer who will put an appropriate dollar value on your injuries and needs. This includes mental distress and loss of enjoyment life.
Your attorney can try to settle your case with the defendant's insurance company before trial. The goal is to negotiate an acceptable settlement quickly to ease the financial burden and stress that was caused by the accident. If negotiations don't work, your lawyer can initiate a lawsuit and bring the matter to trial. A trial is a legal proceeding where the lawyer representing you in the case presents arguments and evidence to a judge or jury. If you are awarded a judgment or verdict, your lawyer will work out a plan to collect the payout.
Pain and Suffering
If you're injured in an accident, it's not just the physical injuries that you suffer. Emotional trauma can be very important and cause constant discomfort. It is also possible to have difficulties adapting to your new lifestyle especially if you're suffering from a permanent blemish. This is often referred to as "pain and suffering."
Pain and suffering are difficult to quantify in comparison to other economic damages like medical expenses as well as lost wages and future earnings. There are ways your attorney can aid you in determining the fair value of these damages.
Many states, like they use a multiplier in order to determine the amount you should be compensated for pain and suffering. They multiply your economic losses by a number that can range from 1.5 to 5. Typically, the more severe the physical injuries you suffer, the higher the multiplier will be.
Other methods of calculating pain and suffering include the per-diem method, in which a specific dollar amount is allocated to each day you are suffering from the injury. Your lawyer can explain these different methods and assist you in determining which one is best suited to your particular situation.
Your lawyer will do everything in his power to establish the mental distress you have suffered. For instance, he or she might require you to keep a log of your emotional and physical distress so that you can describe the pain in detail before a jury in court.
If your case goes to trial, you can expect the jury to spend several hours deliberating what they believe is an appropriate amount of money to compensate you for your suffering and pain. In certain instances, a judge will modify a jury's decision, but this is extremely rare.
Lost Wages
In addition to medical expenses and property damage, victims can recover compensation for lost wages in a lawsuit against an at-fault party. Loss of earning capacity is what this is called. This damages award covers future income from promotions, raises, and bonuses that a victim could have earned in their regular employment, and includes fringe benefits such as gym memberships, use of a company vehicle, or company-loaned electronics.
A lawyer for personal injury can help you prove the full impact of an accident by providing tax returns, pay stubs, and earnings statements. These documents will show the amount of time you were absent from work, and the hourly rate you typically earn per shift. If you were paid a commission, your attorney can request additional evidence from business associates in order to prove how much you could have earned if you had been able to continue working.
It is important to understand that you're only entitled to the loss of wages that occurred because of your injury. This is in contrast to the more speculative damages that can be awarded, such as emotional distress and punitive damages.
In the event of loss of earning capacity, it is crucial to obtain expert witnesses who will provide their opinions on the ability of you to carry out your job after the injury. This can be a challenging task that will require computer software to display the differences in your abilities compared to those you were capable before the accident. Your NY injury attorney will use the testimony from experts to help you obtain the appropriate lost wages damages award. They will also challenge arguments from the negligent party, or their insurance company that your injuries weren't severe enough to prevent you from working based on general data or statistics.