By Personal injury lawyers help injured people get compensation for their losses, either through negotiating with insurance providers or by filing personal injury lawsuits against at-fault parties in civil court. The work can be highly rewarding, but it can also be stressful and emotionally draining. In addition, there are some significant financial risks associated with this type of law, as personal injury cases often involve a contingency fee arrangement meaning that the attorney is paid only if they win the case.
When you need a Personal injury lawyer, look for someone who has experience in the specific types of cases you’re facing. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, you want an attorney who specializes in car accidents; if you’ve been injured at work, you need an attorney who understands workers’ compensation claims and labor laws. Similarly, when you meet with potential attorneys, pay attention to how they treat you. Do they take the time to listen and respond to your questions? Do they ask you for evidence that supports your claims?
A skilled Personal Injury lawyer knows how to calculate the value of a client’s loss. This involves identifying all of the damages incurred, including both economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses may include medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In wrongful death cases, families can recover compensation for funeral and burial expenses, medical bills incurred by the deceased person before their passing, loss of household services, and more.
New York personal injury laws can be complex and nuanced. For example, under a doctrine known as vicarious liability, a physician may be held accountable for malpractice committed during the course of their job duties by their employer, even if the clinic they work for isn’t negligent itself. In other cases, the city of New York or NYC Transit may be held liable for subway accidents, as can adjoining landowners who share responsibility for accidents occurring on their properties.
Many people are afraid to contact a Personal Injury lawyer because they worry that they won’t have a strong case or that the legal process will be too stressful. However, having a knowledgeable advocate by your side can help you navigate legal hurdles, access medical treatment, and fight for the compensation that you deserve.
Because personal injury lawyers typically finance their cases through a percentage of the recovered compensation rather than upfront legal fees, they exercise careful discretion when taking on new clients. They will only accept a claim if they believe that it has merit and that they can win the case for their client. This screening process helps avoid situations where the attorney will ultimately lose money because they took on a case that was likely to be unsuccessful. In addition, insurance companies know which personal injury attorneys have a reputation for winning cases through tough negotiations and which ones are willing to settle quickly for cheap.
