August 30, 2013

How a Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles Handles Your Case

It is important for you to understand how the legal proceedings work after filing a personal injury claim with your attorney in Los Angeles. To begin with, the process is rarely a quick one, and often takes several months, or in some cases, years before it is fully settled. After meeting with your lawyer and going over your claim, he establishes a maximum amount you are going to seek as monetary damages. The next step is to file the proper paper work with the local court system. During this time, your lawyer contacts the other party’s insurance company and makes them aware of your intentions to file a law suit.

Once the insurance company verifies your Los Angeles personal injury attorney has begun the filing procedures with the court, they are open to negotiating a settlement. A settlement is when your lawyer presents a monetary figure to the insurance company, and they accept it. Rarely does the insurance company automatically accept the proposed amount. Instead, they frequently make a counter offer, typically much lower, and most of time hardly worth accepting. What this does is open up the negotiating process, where your lawyer and the insurance company go back and forth, making counter proposals to try to reach an acceptable settlement. In the event an agreeable settlement is unable to be reached, your next step is to take your case in front of a judge and attempt to get a verdict in your favor. Just remember, your lawyer is working in your best interest, so even if it is several months or years before you receive your damages — in the long run, it is worth the wait.