If you’ve been involved in an accident, you must know what to expect from your injury lawyer during the legal process. The law can be complicated, so having an experienced attorney is essential.
Your attorney will first interview you about the accident and your injuries. They will then get all of your medical records and bills relating to the case.
Initial Consultation
You and your injury lawyer will discuss your case during an initial consultation. Your lawyer needs to understand your injury so that they can provide you with the best possible legal advice.
Bring as much documentation and information to your consultation as possible. This includes police reports, medical records, and any correspondence with insurance companies or other parties that may be involved in your case.
The information you share with your injury lawyer like at www.barruslaw.com during an initial consultation should be confidential. This means you should never try to hide anything from your attorney at this meeting.
The initial consultation is an excellent opportunity to get to know the attorney and determine whether you want to work with them. It is also a great way to evaluate their fee structure and how they handle communication.
Discovery
Discovery is the phase of the legal process that allows each side to request documents and other evidence from each other. This can help parties determine whether to seek a pre-trial settlement or forge ahead to trial.
The most common types of written discovery are interrogatories and requests for the production of documents. In these requests, one party sends another a list of questions that must be answered under oath.
This valuable tool can save time at trial by narrowing the issues. However, it should be used only with caution.
Other standard tools in discovery include requests for admissions and proposals for producing documents for non-parties. In these requests, a party asks the other to admit under oath that specific facts are actual or that certain documents are genuine.
Negotiation
Negotiation is an effective way to resolve disputes without going through the costly and often stressful litigation process. More than 95 percent of civil claims are resolved through negotiations instead of litigation.
The first step in negotiation is understanding the situation and your opponent’s underlying interests. This can be done through thorough research, interviewing, and communication with your opponents.
Once both parties clearly understand each other’s perspectives and interests, the next step is to exchange information. This phase is essential for building rapport and trust, which can help you achieve a positive outcome during the negotiations.
In addition, it is essential to establish a fair and balanced approach for the bargaining stage. The goal is to reach a settlement that meets your and your opponents’ expectations.
Trial
A trial is a legal process by which disputes are resolved in an impartial tribunal (such as a judge, jury, or another trier of fact).
In courtrooms worldwide, a trial involves both sides of the dispute coming together to present information and argue their cases in a formal setting with authority to settle their differences. Whether a dispute involves a criminal charge or is more abstract, the parties aim to reach a resolution that serves their best interests.
Once a case is ready for trial, the lawyers will provide the judge with a document that outlines their arguments and evidence. Some practices, known as “bench trials,” do not involve a jury and are decided by the judge alone.
After a trial, the judge issues written decisions, which the parties may review at an appeals court. These decisions often referred to as opinions, are public and recorded in the courthouse. They describe the relevant legal standards and set out the findings that the jury must make to reach certain conclusions about the defendant’s actions.
