After you’ve consulted with a serious injury lawyer in Albuquerque, you may be wondering what’s going to happen next. You likely discussed the details of your case in the consultation and know what the lawyer plans on doing for you, but you may not know the complexities of the future process. Knowing an attorney’s next steps can help ease your nervousness about your case, and ultimately make things occur more smoothly. Here is an idea about what happens after you’ve stepped out of that initial consultation.
After the consultation
The first thing your lawyer is going to do is gather all of the necessary information about your case. They will likely ask you to sign a medical release form so they can retrieve paperwork from the hospitals you visited, and they will also be investigating the circumstances of your case. Each personal injury case is different, and a lawyer needs to do some investigation to ensure they can prove you are not at-fault in the courtroom. Proving you aren’t responsible for the accident is the only way to get a judge to rule in your favor. This is done by visiting the scene of the accident, getting in touch with the people involved, and numerous other actions to move the case forward.
After the necessary information has been gathered and prepared to take in front of a judge, you and your accident attorney will show up on your designated court date and aim to show the judge that you were not the cause of your accident, and ask that you be financially compensated for the situation. If the judge agrees that you were not at-fault, then they will likely award the compensation your lawyer is asking for or alter the amount. However, this stage of the process can be complex in its own right and may require more than one court appearance.
What to expect in court
Some people just want compensation for the time they missed at work and to pay for their medical bills, but other people want to seek extra money for pain and suffering, counseling fees, physical rehabilitation, and much more depending on the severity of the accident. The more financial compensation you are seeking from the defendant, the longer it could take to be officially awarded the money you’re asking for. Once the award decision is made, the defendant will be ordered to pay for your inconveniences. While the award will usually be paid by an insurance, company, it can sometimes mean that their bank accounts, personal assets, vehicles, and other possessions are seized in order to pay you.
While each case is different, the main processes for each personal injury case are going to be along the same lines. Your case may be a simple one that a judge makes a ruling on during the first court date, or your case could be a complicated one that requires several court appearances over the course of a few months. Be sure to ask your attorney about this if you’re concerned about a case taking up too much of your valuable time; there are some instances where your lawyer can appear on your behalf.
This is only a brief summation of what occurs after you’ve met with a lawyer to begin to a personal injury case. If you have questions or hesitations about speaking with an attorney, get your free initial consultation with Parnall Law Firm today. We’ll lend our experience and give you honest information so that you may make an informed decision when opting to move forward with a lawsuit.
