Lawsuit preparation is very involved. This alone can intimidate victims and might deter them from filing. When handling your case, we can tackle the work of an investigation and collecting evidence. We can then start arranging that evidence into a strong case that we file before the two-year statute of limitations runs out.
Give us as much time as possible to prepare your case by reaching out right after the accident. Two years is not long, and we may need time to bring on experts and calculate your losses. We need to know your damages when writing the complaint that starts your lawsuit or else requests for relief might be inaccurate. You can seek relief after many different accidents, including car crashes, medical malpractice, slip and falls, and defective product injuries.
Get a free case assessment by calling Rice Law’s personal injury lawyers at (470) 287-3070 today.
Preparing Personal Injury Lawsuits in Fayetteville
Victims can reach out right after accidents so we can start preparing cases and preserving evidence immediately.
Reviewing the Case
To see if you have a case, our lawyers will look for certain elements.
First, we will see if the person who injured you owed you a “duty of care.” For example, drivers owe one another a duty of care to follow traffic rules and drive reasonably. Property owners owe visitors a duty of care to ensure their restaurants, stores, etc. are reasonably safe.
Next, we need to prove a breach of duty, which happens when someone acts or fails to act reasonably or violates a specific rule. A driver breaches their duty of care when they break traffic rules, like by speeding.
Lastly, our personal injury lawyers must prove that the defendant’s breach caused your injuries and damages.
Getting Evidence
You must prove the defendant more than likely caused your injuries to win a lawsuit. To get evidence that meets this burden, we can start investigations immediately.
Evidence varies, but many cases include eyewitness statements, photos, video footage, and medical records.
We can handle getting evidence on your behalf, organize it into a compelling case, seek expert opinions, and calculate damages.
Clear proof of liability is equally good leverage for a large out-of-court settlement or proof at a trial.
Writing the Complaint
A key part of preparing lawsuits is writing the complaint, the document that starts your case.
The complaint must follow certain criteria our lawyers will include, such as listing the defendant, what happened, and why they are liable.
We will also make requests for relief. This explains your losses and what you need in compensation. This amount can influence settlement proposals and guide jury awards, so it must be accurate.
To ensure accuracy, we will carefully tally all damages. Medical expenses are often the most consequential, but lost wages and other damages also add up. Our attorneys will include all economic damages in relief requests.
We will also include non-economic damages or “pain and suffering” to represent the intangible harms you suffered. For example, you can get compensation for depression, PTSD, emotional distress, and physical pain. We can prepare you to testify in court about your pain and suffering. If your lawsuit goes to trial, this can help the jury understand your position.
Common Fayetteville Personal Injury Cases
After an accident, someone else may be liable for your injuries. Some top reasons for lawsuits include the following:
Car Accidents
Even relatively minor car accident injuries, like whiplash, still need medical attention. Any amount of medical treatment can be expensive. Car accidents often mean property damage, too, and you can recover for vehicle repair or replacement costs.
Slip and Falls
Apart from car accidents, slip and falls are other common reasons for lawsuits. Tripping over wires, slipping on wet floors, or other accidents due to poor property maintenance are frequent. In these situations, the owners are generally to blame. Even if a restaurant worker failed to clean up a spilled drink, leading to your accident, their employer could be liable.
Defective Products
Defective products are another top cause of injury. Electronics, appliances, or construction tools with poor designs could explode or catch fire during use. With these accidents, there is a risk of bad burns, lacerations, and even amputation. To get damages, our lawyers would bring a claim against the product manufacturer or designer.
Workers hurt by defective products on construction sites can also sue manufacturers. These third-party lawsuits help maximize victims’ damages since they cannot sue their employers.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can also injure victims. When healthcare providers are negligent, they might give patients the wrong medications, discharge patients too soon, or even leave foreign objects behind during surgery. When this happens, victims can seek damages from the at-fault physician and the hospital.
When to File Your Personal Injury Lawsuit in Fayetteville
Maryland’s statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits is two years. It’s more complicated for medical malpractice lawsuits, which have a two-year statute of limitations and a five-year statute of repose. So even if you discover injuries later, you can only file lawsuits in the five years after a medical injury.
This gets confusing, so assume you only have two years to sue. While exceptions to the statute of limitations exist, they do not apply to every case. Missing the filing deadline bars you from getting damages, so do not risk it.
Contact us immediately so we have as much of the statute of limitations to prepare your case. We need time to calculate your damages, involve experts, and form arguments. Even if your filing deadline is fast approaching, we can still help you get damages.
Call Our Accident and Injury Lawyers in Fayetteville Today
Get a free case review when you call Rice Law’s personal injury lawyers now at (470) 287-3070.