What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

Massachusetts and Rhode Island personal injury attorney answers the question “what does a personal injury lawyer do?”

As personal injury attorneys Massachusetts and Rhode Island trusts, it always amazes how many questions we get about what exactly we do all day. The “what does a personal injury lawyer do?” question seems to come up regularly when we are speaking with clients who are injured.

Fair question.

Although I realize that the question is really more a “what are you going to do to help me” kind of question, its one that needs to be addressed.

Probably like your days, every day at our personal injury law firm is different. But how we approach each personal injury case is fairly systematic – each varies greatly based on the type of case, the extent of the injuries and the sheer number of parties who are involved.

As a slip and fall case  is very different from an automobile accident case, it goes without saying that each personal injury case is completely different from the next – just based on the nature of personal injury law. However, we do use a fairly standardized approach to each case – an approach that has served us well over the course of our last twenty-plus years helping personal injury clients just like you.

What Does a Personal injury Lawyer Do: Step by Step

As Massachusetts and Rhode Island personal injury attorneys, there is a typical sequence which we follow on most personal injury cases, but no two cases are treated exactly the same. Your case may differ from these steps below, but each case has at least a few elements of the sequence below.

Rest assured that nobody will work more diligently in representing you as evidenced by the long list below. So, hopefully this list willy answer that burning question of “what does a personal injury lawyer do all day”. Not necessarily in this sequence, we:

• Evaluate your claim and help to educate you on the role of personal injury attorney and how we may be a will that help your case. At this time we also will include any applicable deadlines and lay out a plan of attack.

• Contact insurance company who’s responsible for the claim on your behalf. In this conversation, we notify the insurance company that you are being represented by our firm and therefore all communication should go directly to us.

• Gather any necessary documentation, including police reports, medical records or even eyewitness accounts, as well as any outstanding medical bills.

• Analyze your insurance policy and determine the amount of coverage that may or may not apply. This coverage could include medical bills, and/or property damage bills as well. At this time, we also may make recommendations for enhancements to your insurance policy to protect you in the future.

• Interview any witnesses that may have witnessed the accident itself.

• Collect information such as photographs of the accident scene, diagrams from the police report and any other pertinent evidence that may assist your claim.

• Review your medical records and even request an interview with your physician to clarify certain facts. This helps us fully understand your medical condition and clear up any inconsistencies.

• Analyze your health insurance policy and benefit plan to determine if any money already paid on medical bills should be reimbursed by insurance.

• Scour the validity of the case. This may include analysis of other parties who may be entitled to part of your claim recovery amount.

• Prepare what’s known as a “demand package” to be submitted to the insurance company. This package includes details about the injury, the long-term outlook for your health, outstanding medical bills, lost wages, long-term treatment plans and long-term medical prognosis.

• Decide whether the case should be negotiated or an all-out legal suit should be filed. This depends on many different factors and in your input is essential.

• Decide on should a lawsuit should be pursued, we then prepare witnesses, testimonies, and may even take depositions from healthcare providers, or other medical specialists.

• Prepare questions as well as answers for the depositions and start the depositions for the defendant, as well as any other individuals who may have an impact on the case.

• Acquire all the data for the claim for the defendant and the defendant’s insurance company. This may include medical bills, tax returns, written testimonies and medical records.

• Appear in court and set the date for trial.

• Prepare for the trial and also prepare for potential arbitration and/or settlement prior to trial.

• Prepare you and any witnesses for the trial.

• Organize and complete any medical exhibits or demonstrative exhibits that may be pertinent to the trial.

• Prepare for arbitration and/or mediation.

• File briefs and motions with the court so as to eliminate any potential surprises at the trial itself.

• Take the case to trial.

• Analyze the verdict and determine whether or not there is cause or need for appeal to the verdict.