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?

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.

The accident injury lawyers at Gage Mathers Law Group represent injury victims in several practice areas that fall under personal injury law. If another person or a company injured you, we encourage you to contact our team for a free consultation.

Skilled Lawyers Can Help You Recover Compensation In Most Personal Injury Cases

Whether you’re hurt in an auto accident, by a dog bite, or due to some other incident, 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.

Personal Injury Lawyers Will Negotiate Your Claim When The Time Is Right

If your attorney has done their job correctly, the at-fault party, their insurance company, or their defense lawyer will approach your attorney about a potential settlement. An important part of any personal injury claim is your damages. Your personal injury damages determine the value of your claim.

There are three types of personal injury damages: general, special, and punitive. Each type of damage is meant to compensate you for different types of “harms and losses.”

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.

Does My Personal Injury Case Have To Go To Trial?

National statistics show that personal injury attorneys settle 95% of the personal injury lawsuits they file. In fact, Arizona courts encourage settlement by requiring the parties to participate in private mediation, judicial settlement conferences, or arbitration before they will schedule a trial. In other words, attempting to settle cases is mandatory.

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.

What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?

Personal injury attorneys handle a variety of cases where someone else’s negligence causes injury. This includes:

• Vehicle accidents (like car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, etc.)
• Dog Bite
• Slip & Fall or Trip & Fall Injuries
• Construction Accidents
• Premises Liability (like fire, explosion, workplace incidents, etc.)
• Catastrophic injuries (like spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, etc.)
• Medical Malpractice
• Birth Injuries
• Sexual Assault
• Wrongful Death

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

Many personal injury lawyers, including those at Gage Mathers Law Group, do not charge fees unless you collect compensation. In other words, you pay nothing upfront for the time and energy of your legal team. You should not have to pay any costs either. The only time you should have to pay your personal injury lawyer is if they obtain a settlement or judgment in your favor, then you would pay the lawyer a percentage of your compensation and reimburse them for their expenses incurred in pursuing your case. That is the benefit of a contingency fee–the lawyer takes all the risk and the injury victim has one less thing to worry about.

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.

Again, if your personal injury attorney fails to get you any compensation, they get nothing.

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.

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.

Gage Mathers Law Group, PLLC

2525 E. Arizona Biltmore Cir #A114

Phoenix, AZ 85016

(602) 258-0646