Proving someone else’s liability for your injuries requires evidence and a firm understanding of personal injury lawsuits. Without that, victims could risk accepting lowball settlements or presenting weak cases that cannot prove fault. We can prioritize preserving and collecting evidence so that it does not happen to you.
For example, we can gather all photos and videos from witnesses, security cameras, and law enforcement. In addition to us reviewing them, we may have accident reconstruction experts review them. These experts and others can testify in your lawsuit, as can eyewitnesses. We can use compelling evidence to speed up settlement negotiations and get bigger offers. Or, if settlement talks do not progress, we can use that evidence to prove fault at a trial.
Call (470) 287-3070 to discuss your case for free with the personal injury lawyers at Rice Law.
Evidence Our Forest Park Lawyers Gather for Personal Injury Cases
Without enough evidence, victims cannot get compensation in lawsuits. In your case, our lawyers may use photos, videos, witness statements, and medical records, among other evidence, to prove fault.
Photos and Videos
Photos and videos come from several sources. After car crashes, victims may photograph vehicle damage and debris on the road. In addition to the pictures you took, we may get photos with the police report or from eyewitnesses. Photos can help prove hazardous conditions after slip and falls. They can also help experts piece together a car accident’s cause.
Getting video evidence from security cameras and other sources is also a top priority. Property owners who also own surveillance footage might have incentives to delete it. We can ensure footage gets preserved in other cases too. For example, a nearby business’s security cameras might have filmed your recent car accident. We will contact the owners promptly, get footage, and review its relevance to your case.
Witness Statements
We will also get witness statements for your case. Talk to eyewitnesses in the area if you can after the accident. Ask for their names and phone numbers. Give that information to our personal injury lawyers so we can schedule interviews. Bad injuries stop some victims from talking to witnesses. When that happens, we can use other methods to identify them, like the police report.
We will also see which experts may aid your recovery. Experts in accident reconstruction can use photos, eyewitness statements, and police reports to determine what happened. They can pin down the at-fault driver’s speed and help us prove liability.
We may also use expert statements to get you non-economic damages. After assessing you, mental health experts can testify about your pain and suffering. Your testimony can also help on this front. Testifying about your reduced quality of life or emotional distress may help the jury better understand your non-economic damages.
Medical Records and Bills
Medical records show your injuries and outline your care. Going to the hospital right after an accident or as soon as you notice injuries is important. Delaying treatment could have negative implications for your case.
We can keep medical records and bills organized on your behalf. While medical records prove your injuries exist, medical bills prove their cost to treat. Medical bills are proof of damages. Without them, you cannot get compensation for treatments.
Some injuries continue costing victims after their lawsuits end. To prove future medical damages, we may use testimony from your treating physicians and other medical experts. They can discuss upcoming surgeries or continuous prescriptions. This can help us get future medical expenses covered, even if you have not incurred them yet.
How Long Do Personal Injury Cases Take in Forest Park?
All cases have unique factors that could extend their timeframes. For example, say both parties want to settle, and the defendant gives a fair offer soon into negotiations. In that case, the lawsuit might take a few weeks or months.
Not all cases are as straightforward, however. During settlement negotiations, a defendant might refuse to take liability for all the victim’s damages. Most notably, defendants leave non-economic damages out of initial settlement offers. Accepting any of the first few offers could leave non-economic damages on the table.
Though negotiations take time, they should not cause you additional distress. For example, say it has been months and offers do not improve. By that point, you might be overwhelmed and unable to pay medical bills or other accident-related expenses. Our lawyers can stop you from reaching that point by taking your case to court sooner.
If we realize settlement offers will not improve, we can save you time by going to court. Instead of waiting for a better proposal, you may claim greater damages by proving liability at trial.
When you do this, the jury will award you damages. Compensation will be based on the proof we presented, like your medical bills and evidence of lost wages. Highlighting your pain and suffering at trial can yield considerable non-economic damages from the jury as well.
Once your trial begins, it may only last for several days or a few short weeks, depending on the case’s complexity.
Confirming Your Personal Injury Filing Deadline in Forest Park
Apart from the few tolling exceptions, the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in Forest Park is two years. This leaves victims little time to prepare and bring cases, so they should not wait.
Expect to have two years from an accident’s date to file your lawsuit. When reviewing your case, we can see if any of the tolling exceptions apply. This could push back the filing deadline for your lawsuit.
Common exceptions to the statute of limitations include victims being under 18, defendants leaving the state, and defendants concealing their liability from victims. Another common exception is delayed discovery or victims not realizing their injuries until some time after an accident.
Call Our Injury Attorneys in Forest Park Today
Call (470) 287-3070 to have the personal injury lawyers at Rice Law assess your case for free.