Every so often, someone tries to bring their own personal injury lawsuit after a car accident. While this is legal, it’s never advisable, particularly in Sacramento. California’s court system is complex and can be difficult to navigate. Here’s what you can expect an experienced lawyer to do on your behalf.
Give advice
The first and most basic job of your attorney is to give you sound advice about your case. This will include walking you through your case so that you understand what to expect at every step. After a car accident, it’s natural to feel stressed and unsure, but an attorney can help you figure out what to do.
Your attorney can tell you what to expect from insurance companies, what kind of evidence you’ll need to make an effective case, and when and where you’ll have to present all your evidence.
Talking to insurance companies
After a serious accident, it’s common for insurance companies to go to work to protect their own interests. They may call you and ask for a statement, hoping that you will say something that they can use later to “prove” that you were not injured as badly as you claim or that the accident was partly your fault.
They may also try to find a way out of having to cover the responsible party in an accident, and there are some creative ways they can use to do this. Not every insurance company is untrustworthy, but it’s always a good idea to have Sacramento car accident lawyers on your side who know how to talk to the insurance company.
Conduct a professional investigation
In order to present a full-throated case in court, you will need to have a professional presentation of all the evidence. Someone needs to take witness statements in the right way, develop theories about what happened, fully investigate the scene of the accident, and find out about the responsible party.
It might be necessary to bring in outside experts to help explain to a jury what happened or why it’s important. A good personal injury firm will already have contacts in various parts of the professional world that they can call in to help with your case.
Liaising with your medical carers
Some medical professionals have a lot of special knowledge about the legal issues when it comes to a car accident or other personal injury case. Legal professionals know just who to call to get you the help you need. They also know which medical professionals are able to explain things in court in a way that juries and other laypersons can understand.
Give you a long-term perspective
When you are badly injured, you can easily lose sight of the long game. Understandably, you will be focused on your immediate injuries and recovery. It’s hard to think about anything else—at least until the bill collectors start calling.
You may not be aware of the long-term consequences of your injury, both to you personally and to your family. Your car accident attorney, however, will have a lot of experience in this area. She or he will be able to give you a clear estimate of your costs going forward, and can help you calculate the long-term economic impact of your injury.
Represent you in court
Perhaps the most obvious job of a lawyer is to represent you in court, but even this is more than it might appear. Representing you is more than just standing up in the courtroom on the day of a civil trial. It’s also about preparing for that trial.
The law is complex. Even one small mistake can tank your case, whether that is filing at the wrong time, filing the wrong piece of evidence, or presenting an incomplete case. Also, you can be sure that the opposing party’s insurance company have the best representation money can buy. You need someone on your side who can help defend your rights.
