I had a phone call earlier today from a young man who had been hurt in an automobile accident in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He already had a personal injury lawyer so I was limited in what information I could tell him. However, I knew this personal injury lawyer from when I went to law school in Lexington and I knew he had a good reputation among the attorneys in Warren County. Moreover, from the information he was telling me, I could tell that this injury attorney was properly handling the personal injury claim. Nevertheless, the young man’s phone call was justified as he was not receiving an adequate explanation as to the steps involved in the handling of a personal injury claim.
I get it. Lawyers are busy people who are constantly being pulled in five different directions. Also, even though my injured clients can contact me on my phone through texts and calls, none of us are perfect in keeping our clients informed all the time. However, you as a consumer and as the injured victim of a car wreck, have legal rights.
When you hire a personal injury lawyer, you effectively turn the handling of those legal rights over to his/her care. My point is that every person injured in a car wreck has the right to know the status of their personal injury claim stand and the game plan is for the ultimate resolution of that injury claim. I don’t care if the car wreck happens in Bowling Green, Louisville or New Albany, Indiana. All car wrecks share some common elements:
1) Who was at fault for the car wreck and what evidence do we have to prove fault?
2) By whom and how are my medical bills and lost wages going to be paid?
3) How long do I have to present my personal injury claim?
4) Can my personal injury claim be settled without a lawsuit or will I have to prove the other driver was negligent and responsible for my damages?
If you have been involved in a car wreck and whether you are representing yourself or have hired a personal injury lawyer, you need to know the answers to these questions. You are paying a personal injury lawyer the same contingency fee, usually 33.33% of the total amount recovered on your personal injury claim, whether you meet with him 1 time or 100 times. Why not make sure he has told you what you need to know so you can feel confident as to the handling of the legal claim and concentrate on getting the medical treatment you need.
