More than 47 million personal injuries occurred in 2018 in the United States.
Their injuries often come from car accidents, work-related activities, and in the home.
To best prepare yourself for the unexpected, you can learn about what to do when you get hurt. The Sawaya Law Firm in Colorado Springs, CO.
Continue reading to discover what to do after a personal injury happens. Along with a civil lawsuit timeline that you will likely experience!
Table of Contents
1. Find Treatment
The very first thing that you should do after suffering from a personal injury is to seek treatment and medical help.
After the accident occurs, you should see a doctor or go to the emergency room. They can ensure that you don’t need treatment. They will also be able to provide you with documentation you will need later on.
2. Get an Attorney
To begin your civil lawsuit timeline, you must first get an attorney to help you.
Contacting a personal injury firm can help you find a reputable attorney that will help represent you in your legal case. Any accident that causes significant injury should have an attorney involved. If you are unsure, get an attorney if you have to take time off work, break a hone, or have large medical bills.
The attorney will evaluate your case and interview you to learn everything they can. You will want to give them as much proof and details as possible.
3. Proceed With Investigations
After you have an attorney and the lawsuit has been filed, investigations will begin.
The process of investigating the personal injury case is done by both parties and is called the discovery phase. Legal claims and defenses are analyzed at this time and interrogatories are sent out to ask questions.
This part also involves getting depositions from witnesses and the parties involved. Discovery is an important step to your civil lawsuit.
4. Negotiate With the Other Party
Once the discovery phase is completed, the lawyers will get together to begin talking about settlement.
With simple cases, this negotiation can be done with one conversation. When cases aren’t as simple, they typically go to mediation. Mediation is meant to help both parties find a common ground to solve the case.
A neutral person, from a third-party, will review the case and help discuss the options available. When mediation doesn’t result in a solution, you are likely to go to trial.
5. Go to Trial
If mediation attempts were unsuccessful and your case still hasn’t been resolved, it will be taken to the courts.
Depending on your location, it could take a day to multiple weeks to go on trial. Most trials consist of half the day so that judges and lawyers can get other work done.
In the trial, you can present your case to the judge and jury. This will result in an agreement being made.
Be Prepared With This Civil Lawsuit Timeline
Accidents happen all the time, resulting in personal injury cases.
Utilizing this guide can help you follow the civil lawsuit timeline so that you know what the next steps are. After you receive medical treatment and get a lawyer, the finer details will be worked out.
Unfortunately, if negotiations can’t be made, you’ll have to show up in court.
Be sure to check out our blog for more articles about what to do in a personal injury lawsuit to protect yourself!
