It's important to have the right lawyer by your side when you're dealing with a serious injury. When an accident leaves someone struggling with their life and livelihood, insurance companies will do anything they can to fight the claim or reduce what little settlement is given. It takes years of experience in personal injury law- negotiating settlements while winning justice in court- that make it possible for victims like yourself to get back on their feet after suffering at work, home, or wherever else accidents happen!
Our Lakewood personal injury lawyers will fight aggressively to make sure that every measure possible is taken when a negligent party leaves you injured, and to help you recover as much of your losses as possible. The team at our law firm knows how the system works, and how to get you maximum compensation through an injury claim. Call us today at 720-770-5454 to schedule a free consultation so we can help you take legal action.
When do You Have a Personal Injury Claim?
When you've been harmed because the other person was negligent, they should be held accountable for your injuries and damages. This usually happens through a personal injury case in civil court where the person bringing the claim forward usually has an attorney to represent them.
The other party in a personal injury case is usually someone who failed to live up to their duty of care. They should have acted with caution and taken measures that would keep you safe, but instead, they caused your injuries due to negligence or recklessness. You need the help of an attorney if you want them held responsible for negligent actions by proving that their wrongdoing was the cause for it happening. Negligence comes in all forms and our lawyers handle a wide variety of personal injury matters, including:
- Premises liability
- Car accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Catastrophic injuries
- Rideshare accidents
- Product liability
- Wrongful death
- Construction accidents
What to Expect From a Personal Injury Claim
Filing a personal injury lawsuit can be intimidating, but there are common landmarks that you should know about before taking the plunge. Here's what to expect once you decide its time to hold the responsible party accountable:
- Get Medical Treatment: The first thing you should do after getting injured in an accident is get medical treatment. Not only will this ensure that your injuries are healed, but if you don't see a doctor for some time following the incident, insurance companies might think it's not as serious and ultimately cause more headaches when filing a claim for monetary compensation.
- Meet a Personal Injury Attorney: For any personal injury claim, you should consult a lawyer. It's always good to at least discuss your situation with them for anything more than very minor issues because they can help provide the appropriate information and resources that will enable you to take care of yourself accordingly in terms of medical expenses and disability income insurance claims. If there is an attorney involved on either side, it’s likely one or both parties will have some sort of legal counsel present throughout negotiations. Having legal representation is especially helpful if this process becomes contentious after all other avenues are exhausted in regards to settlement agreement proposals from each party involved.
- Your Lawyer Collects Evidence: One of the first things your lawyer will do is interview you. The lawyer wants to know everything you know about the accident, your injuries and medical treatment so that they can help make sure there are no big surprises later on in court. Next, the lawyer will get all of your records relating to any injury or treatments for this condition and figure out how much money it's going take just to cover what has already happened.
- Negotiating a Fair Settlement: When a lawyer thinks that the case can be settled, they will make an offer to their opposing counsel or the other party's insurance company. If accepted by both sides of this agreement and legally binding. This is typically done after the injured party has fully recovered so all medical bills can be easily calculated.
- Trial: Mediation often works but if the at negligent party is unwilling to cooperate it can proceed to trial. The amount of damages awarded in court will depend on the extent to which the defendant is at fault for causing an accident and injuring a plaintiff. The judge or jury determines whether the defense's version of events are credible, along with how much they were responsible for any bodily harm suffered by their victim.
How Long do You Have to File an Injury Claim in Lakewood?
If you live in Colorado and have suffered an injury, you should know that there is a two-year time limit for filing lawsuits. If the court does not receive your case within those years, it may be barred from taking place. The deadline starts to count down when the incident occurred or on the discovery of injuries sustained.
If the defendant is an employee of a city, county, or the state of Colorado, a plaintiff must file a formal claim within 180 days and 2 years to file the personal injury lawsuit.
The statute of limitations for motor vehicle accidents in Colorado is 3 years, and it starts on the day the accident occurred.
Why Should you Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
While you can handle an injury claim yourself, here are some things you should consider before doing so:
Personal injury claims are complex and difficult to prove. This is why it's important for you, as an injured victim, to hire a personal injury lawyer. They can help gather relevant evidence and know what is needed in order to build a strong claim for damages.
When you need help with an insurance claim, a lawyer can provide the guidance and assistance that is required. Insurance adjusters are trained in tactics to deny or limit your financial compensation for injuries caused by someone's negligence. A skilled personal injury attorney knows all of these strategies and will fight on your behalf so that you do not get manipulated into getting less than what is deserved from this awful situation.
Even a minor mistake can have major consequences when it comes to your personal injury case. Small mistakes such as missing deadlines or accidentally saying something that could be used against you are the main obstacles in establishing fault and liability, which is key to an accident claim settlement. An experienced lawyer will provide you with legal advice to protect you from errors so that your case stays on track before any mishaps happen and lead to more serious problems down the road.
Because insurance companies know that claimants who have hired an attorney are more likely to fight for their case, they will be much quicker and willing to reach a fair deal with you.
Our attorneys take cases on a contingency fee basis. That means that you never pay any fees unless the lawyer obtains for yourself an award or settlement - all while being able to focus solely on your personal injury without having to worry about paying upfront costs.
What is My Injury Claim Worth?
The injury victim and their attorney should show how much personal loss they have sustained because of the injuries. These are called compensatory damages, and can be classified into economic or non-economic types:
Economic Damages
Economic damages can be tangible and quantifiable. They are often out-of-pocket financial losses incurred due to an accident. Common types of economic damages include:
- Medical expenses,
- Lost wages when an injury forces you to miss work,
- Hospital bills and medical care,
- Property damage,
- Future earnings potential if an injury prevents you holding your current job position
- Funeral costs in wrongful death cases.
The state of Colorado does not have any limits when it comes to compensating someone for their injuries with the exception of medical malpractice claims. These have a cap of $1,000,000.
Non-economic Damages
Non-economic damages, also known as "pure" or "special" damages, may be awarded in a lawsuit to compensate for intangible losses related to an injury. These losses include physical and emotional distress, pain and suffering grief anxiety frustration loss of enjoyment of life. In the case of wrongful death, non-economic losses can include lost support companionship suffered by surviving relatives. The intangible, abstract losses that come with such tragedies as wrongful death should be compensated for justly and fairly. These types of cases require a skilled attorney with extensive experience in this particular area to help you demonstrate the need for fair compensation which reflects your loss.
Review Your Compensation Claim With an Experienced Lakewood Personal Injury Lawyer
You deserve to get compensated for your injuries. You should be able to collect the benefits that you need, but the process can be difficult for those who do not have legal experience. That is why our injury lawyers are here - we provide legal assistance to make sure that rightful compensation and justice happen!
If you have been hurt in an accident of any type or lost a loved one to negligent circumstances, contact the Lakewood personal injury lawyers at DCAL today. We know this is hard for you and we are here to help by providing quality representation that will ensure the best outcome possible during these tough times. You deserve nothing less than someone who cares about your needs. Our law firm offers free initial consultations to injury victims throughout Jefferson County, call 720-770-5454 to review your legal options.