Personal Injury Law Basics
Real Answers to Help You Deal with Real Life After an Accident
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You've been hurt. Now what?
- What does a personal injury lawyer do?
- When do you need a lawyer?
- Personal injury myths - what you need to know
Do I have a claim?
- Do I have a legal case?
- Why might a personal injury lawyer decline my case?
- What is classed as a personal injury?
- What if I witnessed a traumatizing event?
Finding the best attorney to represent you
- Tips on finding a qualified personal injury attorney - where to look
- Choosing a personal injury attorney – interview questions
- Preparing to meet with a personal injury attorney
- When do you NOT need an attorney after an accident?
- How to talk to a lawyer
- Pro bono legal services – does your case qualify?
Dealing with Insurance
- Personal property damage in an auto accident
- Maximum medical improvement and your claim
- Dealing with insurance claims adjusters
- Tactics insurance adjusters may use
- All about Independent Medical Exams (IMEs)
- Filing a bad faith lawsuit
- Steps to an insurance claim settlement
How a Personal Injury Case Works
- Class action lawsuits
- Class actions, mass torts, MDLs: what’s the difference?
- Switching attorneys in the middle of a case
- Jurisdiction: Accidents that involve multiple states
- Multidistrict litigation (MDLs)
- Difference between injury settlement and an injury judgment
- Mediation, arbitration, going to court - what’s best?
- Why (and how) to settle a case out of court
- Settle out of court with a payment demand letter
- All about mediation
Documenting your Case
- Medication journal – keeping track of symptoms and side effects
- Post-accident pain journal – documenting details after your accident
- Post-incident report – documenting details after an accident
- What documents do I need in a personal injury claim?
Timing
- The claims process and how long a personal injury lawsuit takes
- Is there a time limit for personal injury compensation claims? (Statute of limitations)
Money & Finances
- How much do lawsuit loans cost - really?
- Calculating loss of wages
- How damages are calculated
- Options for covering your medical costs after an accident
- How is pain and suffering calculated
- Negotiating lawyers fees - how do accident lawyers charge? Are there any hidden costs?
- Limits/caps on damages and what this could mean for your personal injury case
Elements of Your Case
- Negligence and how it is determined
- Causation and negligence cases
- Comparative negligence, contributory negligence and determining fault
- What is liability?
- The “but for” test
- The “reasonable person” standard
- Fault vs. no fault in a personal injury case
- 6 steps to writing an effective payment demand letter
- Before you sign a confidentiality clause - what you need to know
Life after an Accident