Experience is one of the key considerations when searching for a personal injury lawyer. Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney gives you access to someone with an in-depth understanding of the legal landscape and not a fresh law school graduate (no offense intended).
As experience is gathered from years of active practice, a long industry presence typically translates to a stellar track record. Personal injury lawyers who’ve practiced consistently for at least years have likely handled multiple lawsuits and can easily navigate your case.
In this post, we explore the reasons that make experience a major criterion while hiring a personal injury lawyer in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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1. Experienced Lawyers Are Masters of Evidence Collection
Physical evidence is the cornerstone of personal injury lawsuits.
To prove liability, there must be actual evidence of injuries from the alleged accident. More importantly, you must link those injuries directly to the incident in question.
A Little Rock slip and fall injury attorney is professionally equipped with evidence-gathering skills.
Upon contacting the lawyer, they’ll rush to the accident scene and begin securing crucial evidence required to win a claim. These include photos and video recordings of the accident scene, admission of guilt from the negligent party, and witness statements.
Suppose you’ve already sought medical treatment (which is highly recommended despite the severity of your physical injuries). In that case, your medical records will also constitute a vital piece of evidence during the claims negotiation process.
2. Experienced Lawyers Understand the Statute Of Limitations
Every state and jurisdiction has its own statute of limitations for personal injury claims, a legal term for the period within which an injured party can file for claims.
In Little Rock, Arkansas, the statute of limitations is three years from the date an accident occurred.
Failing to take legal action against the negligent party within this duration may result in you losing any rights to compensation.
An experienced Little Rock personal injury attorney will bring you up to speed on applicable statutes of limitations. Their insights will be particularly invaluable if an accident occurred several months earlier, you documented the entire scene, but only discovered later on that you sustained severe injuries.
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3. Experienced Lawyers Are Up To Date on Other Key Legal Principles
Although three years is the statute of limitation for personal injury claims in Little Rock, exceptional circumstances may extend the duration.
For instance, you’re still entitled to fair compensation from the date you discovered you were injured from an accident. This is known as the discovery rule, and only experienced personal injury lawyers would best understand how to invoke it.
Below are other key legal principles that a professional personal injury lawyer may help to demystify;
Duty of Care
Duty of care refers to the legal obligation to reasonably minimize harm to other people.
To prove negligence for personal injuries in Little Rock, your lawyer must demonstrate that the negligent party breached this principle.
Modified Comparative Fault
In most jurisdictions, the injured party in personal injury cases bears some responsibility based on the extent to which they’re deemed liable. This rule is known as the modified comparative fault, and in Little Rock, the accident victim must be at least 50% responsible.
Your attorney can bring their experience to bear in arguing your innocence. A 49% liability or less score automatically exonerates you from any blame.
4. Experienced Lawyers Understand Legal Procedures
Personal injury law is an in-depth discipline with numerous fields.
The very first thing your Little Rock attorney will establish is the type of accident you’ve been involved in. That could be a slip and fall, motor vehicle crash, or workplace accident.
Next, your lawyer will embark on evidence gathering and then proceed to the most critical part – claim filing. As mentioned, all personal injury claims in Little Rock should be filed within three years from the accident date (with a few exceptions and circumstances).
But even if you choose to pursue compensation on the accident day, the claims process is anything but easy.
Your attorney will fill the necessary paperwork and then send an offer to the relevant insurance company. The insurance company would send a counteroffer, which your lawyer may accept or challenge with another counteroffer. This back-and-forth process continues until both parties reach an amicable settlement.
And if the case proceeds to a full trial, an experienced personal injury lawyer would understand proper courtroom processes. The attorney would know how to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and prepare persuasive submissions….all to increase your chances of success.
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5. Experienced Lawyers Can Maximize Your Compensation
The whole idea of personal injury lawsuits is to get the negligent party to compensate the victim. Again, this is a domain where only an experienced, bar-certified lawyer would excel.
Your Little Rock personal injury lawyer will use the following factors when negotiating for the maximum compensation;
Direct Economic Losses
Direct economic losses are quantifiable financial losses resulting from personal injuries.
They range from medical expenses to rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and potential losses in future earnings.
Indirect Losses
Indirect losses are non-economic and challenging to quantify. That said, they’re typically compensated financially.
Examples include physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life.
6. Experienced Lawyers Provide Peace of Mind
Getting injured in an accident is traumatizing enough. Therefore, it’s only fair to spend the aftermath seeking complete recovery from the ordeal.
Personal injury lawyers exist for that very reason.
Your Little Rock attorney will assist with evidence collection, filing paperwork, and representing you throughout the claims process.
Whether the lawyer pursues an alternative dispute resolution mechanism or prefers to battle the case in a court, their intervention can provide peace of mind during these difficult moments.
Besides, experienced personal injury attorneys maintain a network of other professionals whose expertise can be invaluable in proving the negligent party liable for the injuries and accelerating recovery for the victims. Examples include medical doctors, therapists, accident reconstructionists, and economists.
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Wrap Up
Hiring an experienced Little Rock personal injury lawyer means working with someone with extensive knowledge and skills in litigating personal injury cases.
The attorney will bring you up to speed on key legal principles like the statute of limitations and the modified comparative fault. They’ll also represent your interest throughout the claims process, including filing claims procedurally and negotiating for the maximum settlement.
Besides, your lawyer will represent you in court should the matter wind up in a full trial.
However, experience isn’t the only determinant of a suitable personal injury attorney. Be sure to also choose an excellent communicator, a top-rated lawyer, and someone who’s transparent about their fees.
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