Suppose you are wavering on whether to hire an Ocala lawyer to handle your personal injury claim. Maybe you are unfamiliar with what personal injury lawyers do. Or maybe you are just not sure what to look for in a local Ocala lawyer. Here are five services you will be provided when you hire a personal injury lawyer:
Listen
Every year, about 3 million Americans are injured in car accidents. Every one of those people has a story. The job of a lawyer is to listen to that story and understand the needs of that client. A good lawyer identifies a client’s problems and takes them on as if they were the lawyer’s own problems.
As a case progresses, the lawyer listens to his or her client’s goals and follows through on his or her client’s instructions. Ultimately, the client always has the final say on everything, including whether to change lawyers. However, a lawyer who is responsive to the client’s needs, takes the client’s calls, and makes time for the client is worth his or her weight in gold.
Counsel
Communication between you and the Ocala lawyer you hire is not a one way street. Your lawyer also provides counsel and advice. An experienced personal injury lawyer knows the law. For example, personal injury lawyers need to know negligence law, insurance law, and contract law. Moreover, a local Ocala lawyer knows his or her way around the local courthouses and the judges and lawyers who practice there. A local Ocala lawyer knows Florida’s rules of civil procedure and the local rules governing filings in Marion County and other Florida counties.
However, a personal injury lawyer knows more than the law. He or she also knows how insurance companies handle claims, how insurance company lawyers evaluate cases, how medical providers handle billings for treatment, and many other issues that arise from an accident. These are things that could swamp most accident victims, but an experienced personal injury lawyer would know them like the back of his or her hand.
Negotiate
Many first-time clients are not aware that the majority of cases settle without ever going to trial. Whether a case can be settled before a lawsuit is filed, or requires beating up on the insurance company a bit in court first, much of a personal injury lawyer’s time is spent negotiating.
Many elements go into a successful negotiation. A lawyer must know the facts of the case and the law. Among the facts the lawyer must know are what happened during the accident and what injuries and property damage resulted from it. The lawyer must know your expectations after you discuss what the facts and law can reasonably justify. And, in the end, you have final say over the terms of any settlement negotiated on your behalf.
Track Information
During the course of a case, first-time clients may be surprised by how much information a personal injury law firm processes on behalf of a client. Your personal injury lawyer becomes the point of contact with your auto insurance company, the other driver’s auto insurance company, and your medical treatment providers. If a lawsuit is filed, the lawyer is also the point of contact with the court and the opposing lawyer.
From this information, your lawyer’s staff keeps track of correspondence back and forth with all these entities, deadlines and court dates, and medical expenses. The purpose of all this is to keep on top of the case and keep you informed of the case’s progress.
Advocate
This is why you hired a personal injury lawyer. Whether he or she is discussing your case with an insurance claims adjuster or an insurance company lawyer, or arguing in front of a judge or jury, your personal injury lawyer presents your case in the best possible light. Your lawyer is there to represent you and your interests to try to reach the goals you set for the case based on the lawyer’s counsel and advice.
Hiring a local Ocala lawyer gives you access to many services that you would likely not be able to handle yourself. From listening to your story, to counseling, negotiating, and advocating on your behalf, a personal injury lawyer takes the burden off you so that you can focus on recovering from your injury.
