Accident Injury Overview

If you've been injured in any kind of accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering.  The most typical accidents for which people seek compensation are auto accidents, truck accidents, slip and fall accidents, and work-related accidents.  But many people also seek compensation for more catastrophic accidents such as airplane accidents, train accidents, toxic spill accidents, and fires.

How Do I Know If I Have an Accident Claim?

The best way to determine whether you have an accident claim is to consult with an accident  injury attorney.  An experienced accident injury attorney will evaluate your case and advise you as to whether you have an accident injury claim and how much your claim may be worth.

When you consult with an accident injury attorney, he will ask you specific questions about the accident and your injuries.  Therefore, you should be prepared to go into detail about what happened and how your injuries have impacted your life.  Based upon the information that you give the attorney, he will give you his legal opinion as to whether you have a viable accident injury claim.

How Long Due I Have to Pursue An Accident Claim?

The statute of limitations is the last date on which a lawsuit may be filed.  The statute of limitations on accident injury claims varies from state to state.  If a plaintiff files an accident injury lawsuit after the statute of limitations has expired, his case will usually be dismissed.

The statute of limitations may be as short as one year for accident injury claims.  However, depending on the type of accident in which you were involved, it may be as long as three or four years. 

How Do Accident Injury Settlements Work?

An accident injury settlement is an agreement between the plaintiff and the defendant whereby the defendant agrees to pay the plaintiff a specific amount of money to compensate him for his injuries, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.  In most instances, an accident injury settlement is worked out between the plaintiff and the defendant's insurance company.

If you are unable to reach a settlement with the insurance company, you will have to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your injuries, lost wages, property damages, and pain and suffering.  Most accident injury lawsuit actually settle before they go to trial.  If your case does not settle, it could be two years or more before it goes to trial. 

Hiring an Accident Injury Attorney

When you hire an accident injury attorney, you will be required to sign a retainer agreement.  The retainer agreement will set forth how much you must pay the attorney to represent you and exactly what the attorney's representation of you will entail.  In most cases, you will sign a contingency fee agreement.  A contingency fee agreement generally states that the attorney will receive a percentage of any settlement or jury award, but won't receive anything if there is no settlement or jury award.  Some contingency fee agreements also require the client to pay for the attorney's out of pocket expenses related to the case, such as postage, investigator's fees, deposition fees, and expert witness fees.

What to Do If You Believe You Have an Accident Injury Claim

If you believe you have an accident injury claim, you should speak with a qualified accident injury attorney immediately.  Because you have only a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit, you must act quickly to protect your claim.