What Are the Duties of a Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you have been injured in a car crash, workplace accident, slip and fall accident, or another incident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may find yourself stuck paying high medical bills and unable to work. Worse, your insurance might not cover some expenses, such as pain and suffering, or may deny your claim altogether.

If you cannot reach a reasonable settlement with the insurance company, a personal injury lawyer can help you seek compensation for these and other damages by filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party. With a skilled attorney on your side, you can gain the peace of mind that your bills will be paid and your family will be provided for during your recovery. Understanding your personal injury lawyer’s role and their importance to your case is vital when choosing a law firm to represent you. For more information about our legal services, contact our law firm today.

What Kinds of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?

Personal injury lawyers represent clients with a wide variety of claims. Clients in personal injury cases have suffered losses due to the negligent actions of another individual, entity, or group of people.

Typical cases where a victim or their loved ones may consult with a personal injury lawyer include, but are not limited to:

Car, bus, motorcycle, bicycle, and truck crashes
Pedestrian accidents
Workplace injuries
Dog bites
Construction accidents
Trip and fall accidents
Premises liability cases
Defective product injuries
Medical malpractice
Wrongful death lawsuits

How Does a Lawyer Determine Whether You Have a Valid Claim?

In order to bring a case against a defendant, your legal team must be able to identify an at-fault party whose actions or failure to act caused or exacerbated the accident. When determining whether you have a valid personal injury lawsuit, your lawyer will investigate whether the following three items are true:

The at-fault party owed you a duty of care: A duty of care is the standard of caution and prudence that a reasonable person would be expected to exercise in any given circumstance based on their skills and training. A basic duty of care is usually expected of those around you in all situations. For example, drivers on the road owe a duty of care to their fellow motorists to drive safely.

The other party violated their duty of care: If the at-fault party did not take necessary measures to ensure your safety, they might be found negligent in their actions. An individual who is driving recklessly or speeding is violating both the rules of the road and their duty of care and could be held liable for any damage resulting from these actions.

The other person’s breach of duty directly led to severe injuries that caused damages: Sometimes, an individual may violate their duty of care without causing harm, such as a person who runs a red light but does not cause an accident. For a plaintiff to have a valid case, they must be able to demonstrate injuries and losses directly related to the breach that a personal injury lawsuit can address. For example, if a reckless driver struck your vehicle and caused property damage and injury, you can seek compensation for your repair bills, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Your personal injury lawyer will ensure your case meets the legal requirements before proceeding with your lawsuit. Proving each of these points may require research, evidence collection, interviewing experts and witnesses, and other actions on the part of your legal team.

How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Help Clients?

Personal injury law is a highly complicated field, and lawyers must have extensive legal knowledge, excellent communication skills, and strong problem-solving abilities to represent their clients effectively. The procedures for a lawsuit are strict, and any mistakes can endanger the outcome of the claim. Each stage of the case requires lawyers to perform specific tasks and complete and file required paperwork correctly and on a set deadline.

One of the primary duties of a personal injury lawyer is conducting a detailed investigation to determine what really happened during an accident. Your lawyer can help gather evidence that you were not at fault for the incident, including police reports, witness testimony, photo and video evidence, accident reconstructions, and more. They will also collect documents demonstrating your injuries, losses, and related expenses so they can properly value your claim and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Your attorney will work diligently to seek justice in your case. They will explain the legal process to you so you don’t have to stress over the lawsuit, and they will communicate and negotiate with insurers and defense lawyers on your behalf. Their professional handling of your claim allows you to focus your time and energy on resting and recovering instead of worrying about your financial stability and future.

Why Hire Our Personal Injury Attorneys?

When you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you need legal counsel and representation you can rely on. Please reach out to us so we can help you through this challenging situation. Our Houston-area lawyers have years of experience assisting clients with a wide variety of personal injury claims. We pride ourselves on providing compassionate, personalized legal counsel you can trust.

We realize that no amount of money will erase the pain and suffering you’ve gone through. But collecting fair compensation for your injuries can bring relief and give you peace of mind knowing your expenses will be covered even if you can’t go back to work.

Contact Shariff Law Firm, PLLC, today to schedule your free case evaluation at 713-881-9739!