If you are suffering from injuries that you sustained during a car accident, most states allow you to file a personal injury case to be reimbursed for your suffering and pain. A personal injury claim has to be filed before the statute of limitations for your particular state expires. By talking with an accident law firm in Gainesville or Ocala, you can guarantee that everything is filed properly and on time.
Steven A. Bagen Law Firm is a personal injury firm with offices in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida.
Working with a Personal Injury Attorney for Your Insurance Claim
As soon as you are involved in a car accident, you need to contact the local police department and your auto insurance provider. In situations where a personal injury lawsuit is required, you need to enlist the help of an accident law firm in Gainesville. For those who live in no-fault states, you might still be allowed to sue and obtain reimbursement for any expenses and damages, such as that of medical expenses, lost wages or auto repair bills.
A car accident law firm Gainesville will handle contacting the defendant or their attorney to notify them that they are going to be sued. Certain states give the defendant up to three weeks to submit a response to any personal injury lawsuits. The defendant can either admit they are guilty or state that they aren’t the one responsible for causing the accident in the first place. They can also file a countersuit against you and claim that it is your fault for the car accident and not theirs.
During the preliminary motion, several determinations will be made in regards to your case:
- the date and time of your mediation case.
- whether the case should be moved to a higher court or dismissed, or remain in the current court where the case began.
- the location for the case mediation.
Before the actual mediation date, your accident law firm Gainesville or one of the representatives will take the time to meet with you and conduct a complete walk-through of your case. You will be provided with information on what you can expect to happen at the mediation. Instead of having your case reviewed from an actual judge, your injury case might be handled by a mediator.
Make sure you are prepared to answer any questions asked in relation to the actual accident. Be prepared to defend any sworn statements that you have made to the car insurance company’s adjustor or to your lawyer.
Understanding the Stages of a Personal Injury Case
If both parties aren’t able to reach an agreement after going through the mediation process, the case will be forwarded on to the discovery phase. In this stage, your accident law firm Gainesville will contact any of the other passengers, drivers, and pedestrians who witnessed the accident. The attorney will go through and interview all of these individuals to gather more details about what happened on the night or day of the accident.
During this phase, more detailed evidence will be gathered and put together. Both your attorney and the defendant’s attorney will conduct an in-depth investigation of the accident during this phase to make a determination of who is to blame for the accident. The attorneys will work to determine what actual damages that you sustained from the accident.
At the end of this stage, both of the attorney’s will meet and submit a motion in an attempt to have the case resolved without having to go to trial, or, if needed, take the case to trial. Even if the attorneys ask to have the case submitted without a trial, the judge that was assigned to the case can always motion to have the case sent to a trial. If it does go to trial, your accident law firm Gainesville can have the date set for a trial. Personal injury cases are either decided in front of a jury or a judge alone.
Instead of trying to figure out how to handle your claim yourself, enlist the assistance of a professional law firm who has handled an abundance of cases just like yours. You need someone who is trained and qualified to handle your claim with the care and professionalism it deserves. Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision on your case. Since we don’t make you pay money up front for your claim, we are going to work that much harder to help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by enlisting one of the professionals in our office. We proudly serve residents of Jacksonville, Gainesville, Ocala, Alachua County, Duval County and Orlando.
