What Does A Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

You probably should hire a personal injury lawyer if you’ve been injured in an accident.  But exactly what does a personal injury lawyer do?

From Accidents to Advocacy: How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You in Phoenix, AZ

Are you a resident of Phoenix, AZ, who has been injured due to someone else’s negligence? If so, you need the help of a personal injury lawyer to navigate the legal process and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. In a city as bustling as Phoenix, accidents happen all too often, and the consequences can be devastating. However, from these accidents, a path to advocacy can emerge.

A personal injury lawyer is your ally, fighting on your behalf to hold the responsible party accountable and secure justice for your injuries. From car accidents to slip and falls, a skilled attorney specializing in personal injury law has the knowledge and experience to navigate the complex legal system and help you build a strong case.

In this article, we will explore the various ways a personal injury lawyer can assist you in Phoenix, AZ. From investigating the accident and gathering evidence to negotiating with insurance companies and representing you in court, they will guide you every step of the way. So, if you’re ready to turn your accident into advocacy, keep reading to learn more about how a personal injury lawyer can help you in Phoenix, AZ.

Types of Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury cases can arise from various accidents and incidents. Some common types of personal injury cases in Phoenix, AZ, include car accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, workplace injuries, and product liability. Each case requires a specific approach and expertise to ensure the best possible outcome for the injured party.

A personal injury lawyer specializes in handling these types of cases and has extensive knowledge of the laws and regulations surrounding personal injury claims. They understand the complexities involved and can guide you through the legal process with expertise and empathy.

The Role of a Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury lawyer plays a crucial role in advocating for your rights and seeking justice on your behalf. Their primary goal is to secure fair compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To achieve this, they take on various responsibilities throughout the legal process.

First and foremost, a personal injury lawyer will evaluate your case to determine its strengths and weaknesses. They will investigate the accident, gather evidence, and consult with experts if necessary. This thorough evaluation ensures that your case is built on solid ground and increases the chances of a favorable outcome.

Once your case has been evaluated, your lawyer will then handle all communication and negotiation with insurance companies. Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts, but an experienced personal injury lawyer knows how to navigate their tactics and negotiate for the highest possible settlement amount. They will fight tirelessly to protect your rights and ensure you are not taken advantage of during the process.

How to Find a Reputable Personal Injury Lawyer in Phoenix, AZ

Finding the right personal injury lawyer in Phoenix, AZ, is crucial for the success of your case. Here are some steps you can take to ensure you hire a reputable and experienced attorney:

1. Research and Recommendations: Start by researching personal injury lawyers in Phoenix, AZ, and read reviews from past clients. Personal recommendations from friends, family, or other trusted sources can also be valuable.
2. Experience and Expertise: Look for lawyers who specialize in personal injury law and have a track record of success in handling cases similar to yours. Experience and expertise in the field are essential for building a strong case and maximizing your chances of a favorable outcome.
3. Free Consultations: Many personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations. Take advantage of these consultations to discuss your case, ask questions, and assess whether the lawyer is the right fit for you. Pay attention to their communication style, knowledge, and willingness to help.
4. Fee Structure: Understand the lawyer’s fee structure before hiring them. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only get paid if they win your case. Make sure you are clear on the percentage they will take from your settlement, as well as any additional fees you may be responsible for.

By following these steps and doing your due diligence, you can find a reputable personal injury lawyer who will fight for your rights and help you navigate the legal process.

Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation

Once you have chosen a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix, AZ, the next step is the initial consultation and case evaluation. This meeting is an opportunity for you to discuss the details of your case and for the lawyer to assess its strengths and weaknesses.

During the consultation, be prepared to provide all relevant information about the accident, including any documentation, photographs, or witness statements you may have. The more information you can provide, the better your lawyer will be able to evaluate your case.

The lawyer will ask you questions to gather additional details and may request medical records or other supporting documents. They will use this information to determine the validity of your claim and the potential compensation you may be entitled to.

It’s essential to be honest and transparent during the consultation, as any inaccuracies or omissions could harm your case later on. Remember, the attorney is on your side and needs all the facts to build a strong case.

Gathering Evidence and Building a Strong Case

Once the initial consultation is complete, your personal injury lawyer will start gathering evidence to support your case. This process involves:

1. Investigation: Your lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation into the accident, including visiting the scene, interviewing witnesses, and collecting any available surveillance footage or photographs. This investigation is crucial for establishing liability and proving the negligence of the responsible party.
2. Expert Consultation: In some cases, your lawyer may consult with experts in various fields to gather additional evidence. For example, they may consult accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts, or forensic experts to provide professional opinions and strengthen your case.
3. Medical Records: Your lawyer will also gather all relevant medical records and documentation to support your claim. This includes medical bills, treatment plans, diagnostic tests, and any other documentation related to your injuries and medical expenses.

By meticulously gathering and organizing evidence, your personal injury lawyer builds a strong case that can withstand scrutiny and maximize your chances of receiving fair compensation.

Negotiating with Insurance Companies

One of the most challenging aspects of a personal injury claim is negotiating with insurance companies. Insurance adjusters are trained to protect their company’s interests and often try to settle for the lowest possible amount. Without proper legal representation, you may be at a disadvantage during these negotiations.

A personal injury lawyer understands the tactics used by insurance companies and knows how to counter them effectively. They will handle all communication and negotiation with the insurance adjusters on your behalf, ensuring that your rights are protected and that you receive the compensation you deserve.

Your lawyer will gather all necessary documentation and evidence to support your claim and present a strong case to the insurance company. They will calculate the value of your claim based on factors such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future medical needs. Armed with this information, they will negotiate for a fair settlement that covers all your losses and damages.

Personal injury lawyers handle a variety of injury cases. For example, your injuries might be from a car accident, motorcycle accident, vehicle accident, slip and fall, dog bite, medical negligence, or premises liability case involving fire, explosion, or falling objects. Personal injury lawyers will help you obtain fair compensation for your injuries when someone else is at fault.

Quality personal injury attorneys will want you to focus on your health while they focus on protecting your legal rights. As you focus on your health and family, your personal injury attorney and legal team will focus on building your case. As we tell our clients, “Let us take that off your plate.”

While your personal injury case progresses, you can expect :

• Your medical bills will pile up, and our team will communicate with the providers to help you avoid collections.
• If you were involved in a car accident, we will deal with the insurance adjusters and their numerous requests.
• There may have been witnesses to your injury incident, and we will track them down to help your claim.
• If you were injured by a dog bite, we will find the dog’s owner and identify all potential avenues of recovery.
• If you fell on someone’s property, we will work to secure evidence of what happened and why.
• If you were injured on the job, we will help you find a workers’ compensation lawyer if you don’t have one and we will work with your carrier.

While you might be able to handle these and other issues on your own, you are much better off having experienced professionals handle them for you. In the immediate aftermath of an injury, your sole focus should be your health not dealing with insurance adjusters or tracking down witnesses. Your personal injury lawyer will do that for you so you are not bothered by stressful aspects of the legal world.

Personal Injury Attorneys Employ Successful Legal Strategies

A personal injury lawyer protects the legal rights of accident victims. To protect clients’ rights, the lawyer must know the relevant law. That sounds simple, but in Arizona, it requires the lawyer to keep up with developments in the law, including opinions from the Arizona Court of Appeals and the Arizona Supreme Court. Then, incorporating all this information, the personal injury lawyer must recognize and anticipate legal issues before they arise. Sometimes, this level of expertise only comes with experience. Most of the time, it requires the lawyer to have systems in place to ensure nothing is missed.

Good Personal Injury Lawyers and Their Clients Communicate Openly and Honestly

The success of any personal injury case depends on credibility. Your personal injury attorney cannot get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries and damages if you are not forthcoming with information. A personal injury lawyer must know the ins and outs of your situation to show your claim is just. This includes any potential conduct on your part that contributed to your injury, pre-existing medical conditions, and anything a defense lawyer can dig up to make you look like a liar.

Your credibility comes down to your version of events and whether this matches documented facts. This is important because your lawyer must rely on documented evidence in Court, unless there is good reason to believe the evidence is false. The lawyer then combines your version of events and the evidence to develop a roadmap for your case. Your lawyer’s credibility, therefore, depends significantly on your recollections.

All this requires you and your attorney to communicate openly and honestly. Great personal injury lawyers will not only listen to you for however long it takes, but they will hear you. They will understand what you are saying regardless of how you say it, and they will ask appropriate clarifying and follow-up questions.

What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do to Establish a Successful Claim?

If your personal injury lawyer correctly works up and prepares your case as if it were going to trial, there is a good chance it might settle. Part of preparing for trial is conducting an investigation that leaves no stone unturned. Your personal injury attorney might hire experts to assist with the investigation, including a private investigator. Many private investigators are former law enforcement officers, military service members, or have legal experience.

A private investigator can help your legal team:

• Track down and interview witnesses;
• Obtain important photos and videos;
• Gather police reports and related documentation of what happened;
• Conduct surveillance;
• Document key facts that might not be available from photos, videos, or reports; and
• Investigate certain facts that might hurt your case.

Whether or not your legal team hires a private investigator to assist with their investigation, your personal injury attorney will use all information gathered to develop a strategy for winning. Admittedly, not all cases can be won. However, some of the best personal injury attorneys can win cases that others cannot. It is not a matter of trickery or deviousness. Instead, it is about understanding the facts, knowing the law, and combining the two into a winning narrative.

Many personal injury lawyers avoid claims where their clients have some fault for an accident or have underlying medical conditions that cause their injuries to heal slowly, such as diabetes or an autoimmune disease. The personal injury attorneys at Gage Mathers Law Group do not avoid these injury victims because they are just as deserving of justice.

Personal Injury Lawyers Will Let Everyone Know You Have A Lawyer

While an investigation is the first phase of a personal injury claim, one task that every personal injury attorney should complete is sending a letter of representation to the insurance companies and lien claimants. The letter of representation serves as formal notice that you are to be left alone and all case-related communications must go through your attorney. This is multi-purpose. First, it keeps you from having to deal with annoying adjusters and lien representatives. Second, it allows your personal injury attorney to track insurance communications, case information, and anything critical to your case. Third, it allows your personal injury attorney to control the flow of information.

This last point is part of a good strategy. Your personal injury attorney will:

• Refuse the liability carriers’ requests to control the flow of information;
• Arrange a written or recorded statement, if your attorney allows one;
• Prepare you for your statement, making sure you understand the strategy of your case; and
• Have additional conversations with the insurance adjusters or defense lawyers to explain why they should cover your medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses, as well as your pain and suffering now, rather than risk a trial.

General Damages (Also Known as Non-Economic Damages) Are Not Easily Calculated

General damages compensate you for harms that cannot easily be calculated. There is no set dollar amount assigned to these damages. General damages may include compensation for:

• Pain and suffering;
• Discomfort, disability, disfigurement, and anxiety already experienced, and likely to be experienced in the future;
• Loss of use of a body part or limb;
• Loss of enjoyment of life;
• Loss of love, care, affection, companionship; and
• Wrongful death.

Special Damages (Also Known As Economic Damages) Offer Compensation For Financial Losses

Special damages compensate you for financial losses. These are easily calculated because they are associated with a specific dollar amount. Special damages  may include compensation for:

• Medical expenses already incurred;
• Future medical expenses that are likely to be incurred;
• Lost earnings;
• Any decrease in earning power or capacity in the future;
• Out-of-pocket expenses incurred; and
• Repair or replacement of personal property.

Punitive Damages Are Intended to Punish The At-Fault Party

Punitive damages do not compensate you; instead, punitive damages usually punish the at-fault party for either intending to cause injury, acting out of spite or ill will, or pursuing a course of conduct knowing that it created a substantial risk of significant harm to others. That said, there are two primary purposes for awarding punitive damages:

• To punish the defendant for outrageous misconduct, and
• To deter others from engaging in similar misconduct in the future.

What Are Some Situations Where Punitive Damages Might Be Available In A Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Punitive damages may be available in cases when people’s reckless conduct causes injury. Here are a few examples:

• Driving while intoxicated or impaired;
• Drag racing in a public location with pedestrians and other vehicles;
• Setting fire to a home or business knowing people are inside; and
• Boobytrapping a backyard gate knowing your neighbor’s kid might use the gate to get an errant ball.

What Things Impact My Personal Injury Settlement?

There are many factors that come into play when negotiating a personal injury case. We’ve discussed many of them above, but one we did not address is insurance coverage. Before conducting any negotiations, your personal injury lawyer will have reviewed all available insurance coverage information including health insurance. Health insurance coverage is important because some health insurers are entitled to reimbursement from personal injury settlements, like Medicare, Medicaid, work-based health insurance, and military coverage. This information is also vital because it could prevent some health care providers from also trying to collect money from your personal injury settlement, called a provider lien or balance billing.

Reimbursement and subrogation are complicated issues that your lawyer should be able to explain. The only thing you need to know now is that your personal injury attorney is legally and ethically required to protect the rights of companies and medical providers who are entitled to reimbursement subrogation.

Once your personal injury attorney understands the world of insurance coverage applicable to your case, the attorney can conduct meaningful negotiations and be able to explain to you how much money you will walk away with after everyone is paid.

Why Should I Choose Gage Mathers Law Group to Represent Me in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning firm known for its results. We win 99% of our cases and have recovered over $275 million for our clients. Clients love the results and really appreciate the personalized attention they receive. We provide large law firm results while maintaining a boutique feel. Every staff member is friendly, approachable, and compassionate.

Gage Mathers Law Group has successfully litigated and negotiated a wide variety of personal injury cases. Our reputation for results has led to involvement in high-profile cases, including those involving celebrities, prominent business owners, and large corporations. Lawyers and clients from around the world routinely contact our team to assist with their legal matters.

Typical personal injury contingent fees start at one-third (33-1/3%) of the total settlement or judgment; however, more complicated or risky cases, like medical malpractice and product liability cases, start at 40%. The contingency fee rate increases if the case requires a lawsuit or an appeal.

Gage Mathers Law Group has a track record of taking and winning cases that other attorneys viewed as unwinnable. We also use the best technology and investigative methods without losing sight of the human element of our work. Our team stays in touch with our clients throughout their case and picks up the phone whenever they call, or makes sure someone returns their call within a short period of time. We are here to address our client’s needs, concerns, hopes, and fears.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney For Help With Your Injury Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you need a personal injury law firm that’s willing to work hard for you. Gage Mathers Law Group is prepared to take on that challenge. Our personal injury lawyers have both the resources and experience to handle your case. Contact Gage Mathers Law Group to see how we can make your injury case less painful and more successful.

To schedule a free consultation and case evaluation, please call us at (602) 258-0646 or contact us online today.

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 23 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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