A personal injury case involves several steps that need to be taken care of. Personal injury victims should be aware of the entire process since it can help them deal with the situation better. Every individual injury case could have different parameters, but the process followed by the legal entities is the same.
The victim must connect with a St. Louis personal injury lawyer if they face any difficulties in the individual injury case. While the majority of the personal injury victims would seek help from a lawyer for their case, it would be most helpful for you to know the stages involved in the personal injury case. It could help you in gaining the upper hand in the scenario.
- Legal assistance
The first stage in any legal case is consultation with a personal injury lawyer in St. Louis. The victim seeks legal help from the lawyer, which helps them determine medical care, liability, evidence, etc.
- Investigation
Once an attorney is hired, the case gets investigated thoroughly. The investigation involves complete research starting from the police reports, crime scene, CCTV footage of the accident, and other necessary details.
- Settlement
The third step involved in a personal injury case is the settlement. The prosecution offers the victims to settle out of the court by negotiating an amount in the majority of the individual injury cases. The attorney may finalize the amount.
The victim can also issue a demand letter stating all the damages they encountered due to the accident. The letter would include the damages to the vehicle, medical bills, and other expenses that would have arisen. The victim should carefully draft the demand letter with the help of an attorney since it would determine their settlement.
- Legal proceeding and discovery
Suppose the prosecutor refuses the demand letter and does not want to settle for a reasonable settlement. In that case, the personal injury lawyer might suggest the victim to further proceed with the case in court. Once the case is legally pursued in the court, the discovery phase begins.
The discovery phase primarily involves exchanging evidence between both parties. By exchanging evidence with one another, a clear and precise idea of the case is derived. It then helps the victim and the prosecution proceed with the case more clearly.
- Mediation and trial
A legal representative, like a judge, is often appointed to help both parties mediate to avoid trial. Mediation is an informal legal proceeding that allows one to conclude the case at agreeable terms.
If the case persists with differentiations, the case would likely go to trial. A jury would then decide and conclude the matter by listening to and examining both sides of the story. The losing party may likely issue an appeal to the court for the personal injury case.