A “personal injury lawyer” is an attorney who specializes in representing victims of personal injuries or wrongful death caused by the negligence of another. Some examples of cases handled by a personal injury lawyer include car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating accidents and other types of motor vehicle accidents. Other cases may include injuries due to a dangerous condition on property such as slip & falls, trip and falls, and falling objects. Personal injury lawyers also represent people who were injured due to a dog bite, animal attacks, medical malpractice and defective products.
The focus of a personal injury lawyer is to collect damages from those responsible for causing injury to the client. Generally, the lawyer will investigate the case and determine if someone is legally responsible for causing the injury. Once that determination is made, the lawyer will report the claim to that person’s insurance company and then work on settling the claim for the client. For example, if a person is injured in a car accident, then the lawyer will determine if the other driver was at fault. Then the lawyer will make a claim with the other person’s automobile liability insurance company to recover damages for the client’s injuries. Those damages can include medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. If the other driver did not have insurance, then the lawyer will make a claim on the client’s own uninsured motorist coverage.
Most of the time, a personal injury lawyer will represent a client if there is some insurance available to pay for the claim. Otherwise, it would be unlikely that any money can be recovered since most people are judgment proof and don’t have the money to personally pay for the damages. Sometimes, however, the lawyer may be able to collect on a claim even without insurance if there is some company or corporation responsible for the injuries. For example, if a client is injured in a trucking accident with a Wal-Mart truck, the lawyer will not be too concerned about insurance since a company like Wal-Mart is able to pay for the client’s damages.
For more information regarding wrongful death and personal injury cases in the Dallas & Fort Worth area, contact Attorney Robert C. Slim, at (214) 321-8225, for a free consultation.