Personal injury law suits may be mounted when an accident or injury is suffered for which a third party is liable. This includes an incident in which another party directly caused the injury or an incident in which action should have been taken by the third party to prevent injury from occurring in a given situation. Any person who believes they have grounds for a personal injury law suit should contact a lawyer with all documents and evidence which they have relating to the incident. The lawyer then acts on the behalf of the injured party or the "plaintiff" to attempt to reach a settlement with the liable party. If this is not possible or if the settlement offered is considered too little, then court proceedings may be initiated in which the personal injury lawyer will attempt to prove that the other party was negligent, and therefore responsible for the plaintiff's injury.