If you have recently been involved in an accident which left you injured, then you may be in a position in which you have grounds for filing a personal injury claim in order to obtain compensation for your associated losses. The thought of filing such a claim and starting a legal process, however, may be scary to you. This is why we have put together this guide which will shed some light on the settlement process of a personal injury claim.
Take advantage of a free consultation session with a personal injury lawyer
The best way to figure out whether you have a case on your hands, is to gather all of your evidence and take it to a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. During this consultation, the lawyer can then assess your provided evidence and overall situation. This will help them in determining whether your case has high enough chances of success to be worth taking on. As most of the injury lawyers work on contingency payment basis, they need to be sure that your case has potential to win a substantial amount as compensation. They would only charge if they help you win compensation- a percentage of it which is fixed before taking on the case. Thus, you are sure of no upfront payments.
Research lawyers in the area and pick the one best suited for the case
With this newfound knowledge of your existing case, you can then initiate your search for a suitable lawyer. This means looking up reviews, putting together a list of questions, and going in to meet with personal injury lawyers in Red Deer until you have found the right one. Make sure that you are inquiring about their preferred method of payment in order to avoid surprise fees further down the line.
Go in for medical assessments with an independent doctor
At some point, you will be asked to undergo assessment conducted by an independent doctor. This doctor will help determine how much pain and suffering damages you should be entitled to. Furthermore, they will also assess how much short- and long-term care you require, and how high the amount of lost wages will be for you, both in regards to already lost wages and your future income losses.
Filing your statement of claim
The purpose of the Statement of Claim is to inform the party you deem to be at fault of your intent to file a claim against them. This will allow them to build a defense and take their own steps to build a case and obtain legal counsel. This statement of claim comes with its own statute of limitations, and will thus need to be filed within 2 years of the day the accident occurred.