How to Get Compensation for Your Michigan Injury Case - Lee Steinberg Law Firm

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How to Get Compensation for Your Michigan Injury Case

THE STEPS INVOLVED IN RECEIVING COMPENSATION FOR YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM

If you believe you have a personal injury case, understanding the direction you should move towards to review and settle your case, can be more than tough and often confusing for most people. In addition, navigating through the legal process can be even more difficult if you have not hired an experienced attorney. The steps to follow are very important for you to understand. When you make a personal injury claim, you have to prove that you were injured and that another person (or business) caused your injuries. You have to have evidence like medical bills, photographs, witness statements, accident reports, or expert testimony. If you don’t have evidence to support your claim, an insurance company generally won’t settle with you. If that happens, it likely a jury won’t find in your favor. Take the time to review our suggestions on how to get compensated for your personal injury claim.

You May Need an Attorney

There are many advantages of hiring a personal injury lawyer. Lawyers can help by first evaluating injuries and identifying who may be at fault. They will also work with experts and medical professionals to gather reports and injury documentation. An attorney can then determine what effects an injury will have on an individual, including medical expenses that may be incurred in the future. An evaluation will also be made as to the effect injuries have on an individual’s ability to earn income.

Most cases will move towards a settlement if you hire an attorney. We advise you to at-the-least schedule a free consultation to learn about your options. At the Lee Steinberg Law Firm, P.C. our attorneys handle many different types of personal injury cases and we can help you recover the compensation you deserve. If you have been injured in any of the following ways, contact us to discuss your situation.

  • Bicycle Accident
  • Car Accident
  • Motorcycle Accident
  • Pedestrian Accident
  • Truck Accident
  • Dog Bite
  • Medical Malpractice and Nursing Home Neglect
  • Slip-and-Fall

You will want to hire an attorney immediately if you are involved in a complex case like a class action suit related to defective products, a medical malpractice case or injured from exposure to toxins, were in a major accident that caused death, permanent disability, or scarring. If you have been sued or if you have been served to a higher court other than small claims you will also want to hire help. These events will require time and money and you may have to fight high-powered attorneys, with special skills in complex and extended litigation. These cases often involve extensive work on preparing pre-trial discovery, depositions, interrogations, and possibly even a trial. You would be wise to hire an attorney with advanced legal training in these types of cases.

In addition, insurance companies have teams of professionals working on their side to cut costs and create payouts in as little as possible amounts. You should look to hire a legal professional to ensure you receive the full compensation for your claim. Some of the monetary damages included in your claim depend on many factors that are specific to each individual and will need to be carefully evaluated and include concrete evidence. The damages will be based on costs such as medical bills and calculations of lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Determining Your Settlement Demand

Once you have made the decision to hire a personal injury lawyer to pursue your claim, the lawyer will collect the details of your experience and make the best possible estimate of how much compensation you should receive. Factors that go into determining the amount of a settlement demand can include:

  • Any emotional distress suffered from injuries
  • Disabilities suffered from injuries
  • Evaluation of relationships affected by injuries
  • The extent of injuries
  • The type of injuries
  • How much has been lost in time and wages from work and will be lost in the future
  • How much insurance is available to compensate injuries
  • Identifying and collecting evidence to support the claim
  • Review of disfigurement and permanent scarring caused by injuries
  • Role of all individuals involved in injury
  • What medical treatment was received and will be needed in the future

Once an estimate of your claim has been made, the process of demanding a settlement can begin. Estimates are made using an attorney’s experience with prior settlements and verdicts of similar personal injury cases. The team at The Law Office of Lee Steinberg is experienced. They have a history of aggressively representing the interests of clients to win their case. The attorney’s only handle personal injury cases and represents individuals, not insurance companies or big corporations.

What is a Settlement?

A lawyer at Lee Steinberg will start settlement negotiations on your behalf by making a demand for compensation. If there is strong evidence supporting your claim, the insurance company may pay the claim and your case will be closed. In most cases the insurance company will counter the demand for compensation with a lower offer. Attorneys will continue conversations on your behalf until an agreement is reached.

When should negotiating a settlement stop and I agree?

Since your settlement is reached through the process of negotiation, it is generally not suggested to accept a first offer. Follow the guidance from a personal injury lawyer and allow them to evaluate your case and support your claim throughout this process.

I have accepted my settlement offer, now what?

Negotiations will be complete once you accept your settlement offer. This will mean you agree to accept a ‘release’ from the responsible party or insurance company by receiving a settlement check. By signing the ‘release’ this will mean that even if you discover you have additional injuries related to the same accident, you will not be further compensated. Typically your compensation will arrive shortly after you have signed and returned your release. Some insurance companies will send the settlement check along with the release form. You will need to sign and return the form before your money will be available.

My settlement was rejected. Do I need to go to court?

If an agreement cannot be reached, one of our experienced personal injury attorneys may discuss proceeding with a lawsuit. During this time you will need to work with your attorney and make the decision to continue the case to a jury trial. The jury will then decide how much you will be compensated for and you must accept the amount as determined by the jury.

Do you have any additional questions for our personal injury attorneys? Please call Lee Free at 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733) or fill out the Free Case Evaluation Form so we can answer any questions you may have about Michigan personal injury law and filing your claim today.