The Intake Process for Car Accident Litigation

A lawyer that specializes in car accident litigation can help you determine the strength of your case is as well as how much your settlement could be worth. This is only possible when all the information you require is available.

Discovery is the initial step of a car accident case. In this phase, attorneys and their teams exchange documents and ask each other questions under an oath.

Documentation

Documentation is a significant element of an auto accident law firms accident. This can include evidence such as medical records, photos, or witness statements. The more documentation that you have, the more convincing your case will be.

A law enforcement report is the first piece of paper you should have. The police officer who arrives at the scene of an accident is likely to prepare a written report. This report will provide important information about the accident and the person responsible for it.

If necessary you need to, your attorney can make use of the police report to gather additional evidence. For instance, if an incident occurred at a company, an employee at that area may have recorded footage of the incident. If this is the case, you should request a copy from the company.

You should also keep track of any expenses you incurred in the aftermath of the accident. These could include medical bills and records for your treatment, receipts for medicines rental car costs and in-home assistance or care, transportation costs, and more. It is also important to document any income lost due to your accident. You can utilize old tax returns and pay stubs.

If you can, collect the names of witnesses to the accident as well. They might be able to give valuable information, especially if you can get them to appear in court. However, it's important to remember that witnesses are prone to altering their story over time and forget details of the incident.

Intake and Auto Accident attorney Investigation

If you've made an insurance company or have started legal action against a negligent driver, the initial intake process is essential for obtaining full and fair compensation for your injuries from a crash. Your lawyer will begin by looking through your medical documents, as well as copies of accident reports as well as other evidence. They will also go to and document the scene of the accident.

This will help them comprehend the severity of your injuries both in terms of future and anticipated costs for your physical and emotional suffering. They will then look over your financial losses to estimate the total value of your case. Your damages may include not only current and future medical expenses, but also your lost income and property damage.

Your lawyer will also conduct an investigation into the incident, including interviewing witnesses and analyzing all available evidence. They will also collect the at-fault driver's driving and cell phone records to see what they were doing with their vehicle at the time of the collision. This is particularly important if the collision involved an Uber or Lyft vehicle, or any other indication that the driver was at work, as this could affect their ability to pay for your damages.

As part of the discovery process as part of the discovery process, your lawyer will ask about the defendant's criminal and traffic offense records. Generally speaking, these facts are not admissible in court, however they can be useful to impeach the defendant's credibility during cross examination.

The process of negotiating a settlement

Once you have received the medical records, you are able to begin settlement negotiations. The insurance company is likely to make an initial offer that is less than the amount you requested in your letter. This is a method to test the strength of your argument. In your counteroffer, it is essential to highlight the most compelling arguments you have in your favor. For instance, if you claim that the insurance company was in the wrong and that there were serious injuries and the medical costs were high. In the end, a lot of the back and forth negotiation should get you to an amount that is reasonable and fair.

A skilled attorney for accidents can effectively argue the merits of your case, including presenting evidence to support your losses. This could include photos of the damage to your car along with a police report as well as witness testimony. We can calculate the various components of your claim such as loss of income along with pain and suffering as well as a police report.

If, at this point, the insurance company is still refusing to offer a reasonable amount, we can decide to start a lawsuit in the courtroom. A trial usually lasts for one or two days and is usually ruled by a judge (called a bench trial) or a jury. If your case is settled before this point it could take a few months. Your attorney might also be able file a summary motion to dismiss. This is where you present all the evidence to your advantage and arguing that it's impossible for the other side to prevail.

Filing an action

In a majority of cases involving car accidents parties are able to settle their dispute out of court. Our team will assist you negotiate with the insurance company of the other driver or directly with the driver who is at fault. However, if an agreement is not reached Our lawyers will initiate an action against the defendant. The Complaint outlines your claims and allegations about the incident and why you are entitled to compensation. The defendant will be served the Complaint and given a certain time frame to respond to it.

The discovery stage is when our attorneys and the defendant will begin to exchange documents and other material in exchange for questions through interrogatories or depositions. Our team will ask the attorney for the defendant questions about their version of the events, including the circumstances under which they believe the crash happened and what injuries you have suffered. We will also solicit expert opinions that enforce our position.

During the process of discovery, your lawyer could file legal documents called motions to the court for a judge to decide on. These could include requests to the court to block certain evidence or to schedule an appointment for trial. It can take a year or more to complete the discovery process and establish the date of trial for your case. It's crucial to consult with an experienced Long Island auto accident attorney as early as you can during the process.