Virginia Beach Personal Injury Lawyer
Suffering through the initial pain and recovery period following a personal injury accident is difficult. To make matters worse, any insurance companies who are involved in the claim may try to place the blame on the injured person or offer only a token sum for their losses.
The simple fact of the matter is that any person who is injured in an incident that is another’s fault has the right to be compensated for every dollar that they have lost. This includes payments for medical bills, any lost income, and compensation for pain and suffering.
A Virginia Beach personal injury lawyer could help clients collect this compensation. They work to gather vital evidence, fight back against aggressive insurance companies, and represent their clients’ interests in settlement negotiations and at trial.
The Role of a Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injury lawyers work to represent the interests of their clients from the day they are hired. Because most personal injury cases involve making a claim against a Defendant’s insurance company, a lawyer forms the first line of defense against insurance agents who may try to take advantage of an unrepresented Plaintiff.
Attorneys work to gather vital evidence before it disappears, help their clients understand vital Virginia laws, and form a strategy designed to demonstrate the Defendant’s liability for the accident. Using this method, most personal injury cases end with a fair settlement without ever needing to go to court. However, if a trial is necessary to get you the compensation you deserve, an attorney could work to present your case to a judge or jury.
Finally, an attorney works to ensure that your case is pursued on time. There is a strict time limit on filing personal injury cases in Virginia known as the statute of limitations. According to VA Code §8.01-243, Plaintiffs must file a case within two years of the date of injury. If this time passes, the court will refuse to hear the case and the Plaintiff will be unable to recover any compensation.
Typical Types of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injuries happen in one of two ways. By far the most common is injuries that come about from accidents. A Plaintiff in these cases may be injured in a car accident, a bicycle accident, as a pedestrian, or from a slip and fall. To prevail in a case based on an accident, a Plaintiff must introduce evidence that the Defendant was negligent. This means that although the Defendant did not mean to harm the Plaintiff, their actions were so careless that they bear legal responsibility for any harm that results.
The other source for personal injuries is intentional conduct. If an individual is injured after an assault, a kidnapping, or a sex crime, they have the right to seek monetary compensation from the Defendant. It is important to realize that these civil cases are pursued separately from any criminal case.
A Virginia Beach personal injury lawyer could take the lead in investigating and pursuing compensation for injuries following a criminal act.
Let a Virginia Beach Personal Injury Attorney Fight for You
The immediate aftermath of an incident causing personal injury can be confusing and frustrating. A person may be dealing with an immediate threat to their health and mental wellbeing. They may also be losing wages from missing time at work. A person’s mind should be focused on making a recovery, but an insurance company may be flooding them with paperwork or refusing to accept responsibility.
A Virginia Beach personal injury lawyer could take the lead in your case while allowing you to focus on what is important in life. They work to handle the paperwork, to gather vital evidence, and to pursue every case for maximum value. There is a limited time to file a claim so do not delay; contact a Virginia Beach personal injury lawyer today to let them get to work for you.