If you’ve been injured in a car or truck accident, then you’re probably dealing with a lot right now. The physical and emotional pain and suffering inflicted upon you may be overwhelming, and the financial realities of your situation might be daunting. Together, your damages probably have you reeling and concerned about the future. That’s why law firms like ours are here to help.
By taking legal action, you can position yourself to find accountability and recover compensation. While there’s no guarantee of a particular outcome in these matters, there are steps that may help increase the likelihood of succeeding on your claim. Let’s look at some of them.
Accident reconstruction
A lot of accidents have straightforward facts that make it clear how the wreck occurred, but others are more complicated, especially crashes involving multiple vehicles. In these instances, it can be hard to determine how the accident was even caused, let alone who is at fault for it. That’s where an accident reconstruction can help.
Here, an expert who understands the laws of physics applies scientific principles to the facts at hand to gain a clearer sense of what occurred. This expert will assess everything from witness accounts to weather and road conditions, paying particular attention to tire marks and vehicle resting positions. Once completed with their investigation, this expert generates a report that gives an opinion as to how the accident occurred and who is to blame for it. This can give you a lot of leverage at the negotiation table and at trial.
Comparative fault
We’ve discussed comparative fault previously on the blog, but it’s worth mentioning again here. As you prepare your claim, you need to be prepared to defend your driving actions. After all, the defense is probably going to try to shift the blame back on you as much as possible in hopes of escaping liability as much as possible. The defense may even have its own experts who will try to deflect any blame back onto you. Know the facts and how to minimize those that support a finding of comparative fault.
Witness preparation
It practically goes without saying that witness testimony is key to a successful legal claim. However, you need to not only know how to get witnesses under subpoena, you also need to know how to prepare their testimony. When the rules of evidence are applied, witness testimony can become restricted unless you know how to maneuver those rules. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to have a formulated plan for each witness’s testimony in anticipation of objections and armed with responses to those objections.
Competent negotiations
Most personal injury cases result in settlement before trial. However, you shouldn’t simply accept whatever offer is pushed in your direction. Instead, you need to carefully analyze any settlement offer that you receive to ensure that it is fair in light of your damages and the strength of your case. This oftentimes requires a thorough analysis of the facts at hand, case law, and what you want out of your case, but it’s crucial that you don’t go into your settlement negotiations blind. Have a plan and stick to it.
Legal help is available
This might all sound overwhelming, but the truth of the matter is that you don’t have to navigate your personal injury case on your own. On the contrary, you can work closely with a legal professional who understands how to build a personal injury case and maximize your chances of obtaining accountability and recovering the compensation that you deserve. If you’d like to learn more about what a firm like ours can do for you, then please continue to research what we have to offer and what we have done for our clients in the past.