The Role of an Accident Lawyer in Your Case

If you or a loved one suffers an injury or death in the New York area due to the negligence or reckless actions of another party, you may be eligible to receive money damages or compensation from that negligent party under the terms of personal injury law. Contact a New York personal injury lawyer to review the viability of your particular case.

The most important role of personal injury lawyers is to determine whether or not the details of your injury constitute a valid personal injury case. Accident lawyers can examine an injury case to determine whether negligence exists, whether or not the negligent party should be held responsible, and whether the amount of money likely to be recovered justifies litigation. The knowledge of legal precedents and statutes within personal injury law possessed by experienced injury attorneys allows them to make such determinations more confidently than a layperson.

Documents required to evaluate a personal injury case

Written documentation is essential to any personal injury case. Bring copies of the following documents when meeting with your lawyer:

• Police or accident reports
• Hospital, doctor, and therapy records
• Medical bills and insurance documentation related to your injury
• A written diagnosis and prognosis of your condition from your doctor
• Any information about future medical costs or missed work
• A list of ways the injury affected your life
• A calendar listing all important dates related to your injury

Understand your legal rights

When considering whether or not to bring a personal injury lawsuit, it is important to bear in mind the extent of your legal rights. You may be entitled to the following:

Payment of all past and future medical expenses, including:

• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Required counseling
• Cosmetic surgery
• Physical and occupational therapy, including training into a new job or occupation
• Payment of lost and future wages
• Compensation for the pain and suffering endured due to your injury
• Loss of consortium damages may be awarded when an injury is so severe that it disrupts spousal relations

How to choose an accident attorney

There are many accident lawyers in the Bronx and Brooklyn area. How can you be sure you are hiring not only an experienced accident attorney, but the right one to handle your case?

When interviewing attorneys, be sure to ask the following questions:

• How many cases have they handled involving the same type of injury as yours? Be sure to retain an attorney who has experience handling cases involving your particular injury.
• How many cases have they taken to trial, and of those, how many have they won?
• Ask to see referrals, verdicts and results
• Do they prefer to settle personal injury cases out of court, or take such cases through litigation?
• Will they handle your case personally or hand it off to an associate?
• Does their firm charge fees or costs regardless of the outcome of your case?
• Are they rated by Martindale-Hubbell?
• What law school did they go to?

As you interview, take note of how they treat you. Are they listening and taking the time to understand your particular situation? If an attorney is too busy or distracted to listen to your case, they are not the right personal injury attorney for you.

Bronx, Brooklyn & West Babylon accident lawyers

If you have been injured in the boroughs of New York City and are considering filing personal injury litigation, contact the law firm of Edward R. Young & Associates or call 888.454.LAWS today.