A blog post for Client
A personal injury lawyer also known as a plaintiff lawyer represents any person alleging personal or psychological injury caused by a negligent act or wrongdoing by another person, government agency, organization, company or any other entity. Personal injury lawyers are trained and licensed for general legal practice but their main area of specialization is the law of tort. The law of tort is an area of law concerned with work injuries, defective products, automobile accidents, slip and fall accidents, medical negligence and defamation. Just like all other lawyers, personal injury lawyers should conduct themselves with ethics and professionalism according to the rules and code of conduct set by the licensing body in the applicable state.
Roles of a Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury lawyer is mandated from the point of receiving instruction from the client, with the ultimate goal to achieve a commensurate compensation. To achieve this, there are roles that the lawyer must play as discussed below.
Client Interviewing and Counselling
Client interviewing and counselling is conducted by almost all lawyers. As a personal injury lawyer, you interview the client to get background information related to the cause of action involved. The client will provide crucial information that will help you throughout the case. At this stage, you will also help the client understand the major issues concerning the case such as the cause of action to pursue, the kind of damages to seek or even any terms and words used by the insurance companies that they may not understand.
Case Evaluation and Analysis
A personal injury is able to analyze and evaluate the case to understand the major issues. Here the lawyer conducts research on the cause of action in order to understand the cause of action and the type amount of damages to pursue the client according to the extent of the injury suffered. The lawyer will look into all the legal issues and the best strategy to apply in building a strong case for the client. The lawyer will do claim investigation, screen all possible defendants in the case and look into all the merits of the case. An understanding of the case will also help greatly in securing all available evidence to be used in the case.
Client Representation
This is one the major roles of a personal injury lawyer. The lawyer takes over the burden of handling the case from the client and is present throughout the process on behalf of the client. The lawyer will use the litigation and negotiation skills to secure compensation or settlement for the client. Most of the time lawyer will negotiate with the insurance companies to get an out-of-court settlement for the client. It is not possible to acquire this result, the lawyer will be present to file a lawsuit on behalf of the client. The present of the lawyer is also vital in ensuring that the client is safe from victimization by the insurance companies and the established legal system throughout the litigation.