How to Get the Most Compensation for Personal Injury Damages - Memphis Attorney Art Horne and Murray Wells

You've been hurt, that much you know. But beyond that initial point, you are likely not sure of how to get the personal injury process going. If you're unsure on whether you have a case or not, it's time to get a professional lawyer's advice. When it's clear that you have a claim, this guide ensures you get proper compensation.

Write Down Details

Horne and Wells - In many cases, it's important to write down everything about the case immediately. If you've been in a major car accident with a truck, this may be difficult. But "on scene" notes can prove valuable in court. Or, if you are suffering through the injuries after the accident, you might write down exactly what you're feeling. In other words, write down as much about the causes of the injury and its affects on you.

Hire an Experienced Lawyer

Quite simply, your lawyer is essential in maximizing your damages compensation. He or she can first explain if you have a winnable case. Then, based on the defendant, your lawyer can develop a strategy for proving your condition, why the defendant is at fault, and what fair compensation would be. While pain and suffering are big parts, emotional damage can often double your personal injury compensation. A lawyer can help prove your condition both mentally and physically after the accident. He or she might call up witnesses who saw the accident, or your physician.

Know Your Rights

Horne & Wells, PLLC - You have rights in a personal injury lawsuit, and it's about far more than simply getting a huge check. If you were wronged, if you're life will be more difficult, if you can't work at all or as effectively, you have rights to compensation. Going to court has some scary connotations, but if you understand your rights, hire a good lawyer, and tell the truth, you can get proper compensation and help for your injuries.

Know the Defendant

Why should you know the defendant? This tells you exactly what you can get. If you are dealing with a Fortune 500 company or major hospital with big pocket books, your compensation can be quite high. If you are dealing with a small company, you might have to accept less. That makes it important to know who you are suing and what they can actually afford.

Settlement or Court?

Most personal injury lawsuits are settled out of court. You will likely get an offer if your case is clear. How you respond to these offers can affect the final amount. Sometimes the offer will be quite large to begin with, but most first offers are on the lower end of what you can get. Once you hire an experienced personal injury lawyer, it's time for you both to consider any offers and make your own case. This again depends on who the lawsuit is against. In order to maximize compensation, understand your first offer may not be as high as you want, and making a count offer is often expected. And if you have to go to court, as long as you are honest, hire a good lawyer, and have clear proof, your chances of getting a damage amount you want are very high.

For More Information Hire Attorney Arthur Horne and Murray Wells Memphis, TN.

Tips to Hire a Good Personal Injury Attorney - Horne and Wells, PLLC

Wondering what to do when you have been in an accident, a slip and fall, or a workplace injury? If you have already spoken with in insurance provider for your insurer, it may be time to consider a personal injury attorney.

The danger in running right out and hiring a personal injury attorney immediately after injury is that you will have to pay for their services out of whatever payout you ultimately get. So, it is typically wise to first speak with the relevant insurance provider and only then turn to legal alternatives. While speaking to the insurance company will in many situations resolve the issue completely, there may be some situations in which the insurance company either denies your claim entirely or decides to compensate you in a matter that is from your perspective insufficient. In such situations, the premium that you pay out to a personal injury attorney will come back to you in settlement damages many times over.

Now, once you are convinced that you need a personal injury attorney, you have to put forth the effort of first finding the right person for your case. Here are a few tips on selecting the right attorney for you - Horne and Wells, PLLC:

There are a number of online databases of local and regional personal injury attorneys. While most of these are pay per listing or free submission, some actually do provide reviewing services. Even here, however, be wary of putting too much stock in a website's recommendation as this information can be easily manipulated.

Horne and Wells - Using this online database and your local yellow pages as a sort of general list, it then becomes imperative to narrow this list by looking at the credentials of a particular attorney. Probably the best way to do this is to call your local legal aid clinic, which is free. While these individuals are not in the business of providing recommendations, the bar in a particular city for personal injury usually consists of about fifty to one hundred attorneys, so amongst attorneys word gets around pretty quickly as to who is good and who is not.

Another good resource is your city bar association. Your city bar will keep more general information about who has not been sanctioned by courts for malpractice and typically keeps a short list of recommended attorneys. But again, take this list with a grain of salt as there are manipulations going on behind the scenes here as well. Often a better tack is just to have a list of three or four attorneys you are considering and then call the bar association to hear their thoughts on each one.

Referrals can be good if you know someone in the legal community. But if not, the best you will get out of a referral is a sort of 'he/she isn't incompetent.' Because let's face it, most clients have no idea whether the settlement they received was in actuality the best they could have - Horne & Wells.

The final test should always be to meet with the attorney. In such a meeting you can discuss the payment method (contingency or flat-fee), but more importantly you want to try to assess if this individual seems competent. Note things like, what law school he/she attended? Did they pass the bar on their first try? How long have they been practicing personal injury in your state? Will they let you speak with some of their most recent clients? Horne & Wells, PLLC - All of these factors taken together should give you a general impression of whether your personal injury attorney is competent, if not good.

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