When a person is injured or killed because of negligence, recklessness or intentional acts by another person or entity, they may be entitled to monetary compensation. To negotiate with and settle with an insurance company or file a civil lawsuit normally requires the skill, experience, and knowledge of a competent personal injury attorney.
While you could try to negotiate with an insurance company yourself, they have powerful attorneys and claims representatives whose primary purpose is to discredit your claim and pay either nothing or less than you deserve. Should you contact them, or if you already have, they may appear to genuinely care about your injuries or losses and maneuver you into saying something that will later work against you.
Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
When you hire an experienced personal injury attorney, they are well aware of the manipulations and techniques insurance companies use without considering what’s in your best interest. And the sooner you have a personal injury attorney ready to work on your behalf, the greater are your chances of securing a just and fair financial settlement.
Personal Injury Attorney Services
When you’ve been injured, or a loved one killed, a personal injury attorney will go to work for you and may provide the following services depending upon the type of case, including but not limited to:
- automotive accidents
- motorcycle accidents
- truck accidents
- bus accidents
- bicycle accidents
- mass transportation accidents
- boating accidents
- aviation accidents
- pedestrian accidents
- premises accidents
- slip-and-fall
- animal bites and attacks
- nursing home abuse and neglect
- construction accidents
- medical malpractice
Fairness with Personal Injury Attorneys
To increase the likelihood that you will receive a fair settlement that may pay your current and
future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost income, loss of earning capacity, loss of
companionship, loss of enjoyment of life, compensate you for your mental anguish, pain and
suffering and possibly more, it’s vital that you have an attorney who knows how to negotiate
with insurance companies and litigate on your behalf in a civil court.
Personal Injury Case Components
To build a strong case, attorney Clayton may handle many components, including:
Evidence: To support your claim that you were injured because of another person’s or entity’s negligence or recklessness may require the collection of any existing evidence such as police or incident reports, witness statements, photographs of an accident scene, medical and rehabilitation reports and expenses, employment and income documents, property damage and more. Such evidence is gathered to establish who caused the accident and the severity of the damages you suffered. To collect evidence, it may be necessary to hire private investigators and expert witnesses for which your attorney can be responsible.
Negotiations: In some cases, it may be possible to achieve a fair monetary settlement through an insurance claim. But an insurance company is unlikely to voluntarily pay what you think is fair. In fact, the role of an insurance adjuster is to settle a claim for as little as possible—or even pay nothing—and have strategies for reducing or denying their liability. To effectively settle a claim with an insurance company usually requires a skilled personal injury attorney who knows how to assertively negotiate with them and their powerful attorneys. Also, with attorney Clayton as your attorney, he can communicate with the insurance company to prevent you from saying or doing anything that may jeopardize your claim. When attorney Clayton investigates your claim and determines you are entitled to monetary damages for your injuries, he may send a demand letter to the insurance company in an effort to settle the claim and avoid court.
Civil Court Lawsuit: When negotiations with an insurance company fail to achieve a fair settlement, your attorney may file a civil court lawsuit (complaint or pleading) against the person or entity (defendant) who injured you. In the complaint, your attorney will present the legal arguments regarding why the defendant is responsible for your injuries. The complaint will define the monetary damages you seek. After the defendant is served your complaint, they have 30 days to respond.
Discovery: Once a civil lawsuit has been filed, your attorney may gather “discovery” which includes conducting interrogatories of the defendant to acquire information necessary to build your case. It may be necessary to depose various individuals, witnesses, and expert medical and accident experts.
Court Representation: If your case proceeds to trial, attorney Clayton, who is extensively experienced with court procedures and conduct, will represent you and litigate your case in a civil court. During litigation, he may present evidence before the court and interview witnesses on the stand. Should the judge presiding over your case encourage both parties to settle, your attorney will manage that process.
There are many services a personal injury attorney should provide whenever and wherever appropriate to help you regain your previous quality of life or compensate you for the loss of a loved one. With over a decade of personal injury law experience, attorney Clayton can help you win a just monetary settlement or trial verdict.
Because Josh Clayton accepts cases on a contingency basis, he finances all costs up-front and doesn’t get paid unless and until he wins your case. Therefore, he takes great care in evaluating the merits of your case and giving you an honest evaluation of whether he believes you will achieve a financial settlement. When you hire attorney Clayton as your personal injury attorney, he will diligently and vigorously fight for your just compensation.
To meet with attorney Clayton personally at no cost, call (318) 217-8487 to schedule a respectful, confidential consultation. Or if you feel more comfortable, send him a note on his contact form.