Accidents that result in you experiencing an injury can be a terrible experience to go through. This can be especially true when the accident was not your fault. Luckily, the court system will allow you to pursue justice against those that were responsible for your injuries or damages. For those that have never taken legal action against another party, it can be easy to be uninformed about what should be expected. By learning the following questions and answers about these cases, you will find yourself better suited to protect your rights following an accident.
What Should You Do If The Other Party's Insurance Contacts You?
Following an accident, the other party's insurance may contact you in an effort to settle the claim. While it may seem harmless to answer the questions asked by these professionals, you may inadvertently seriously compromise your case. These professionals are trained to attempt to get you to admit culpability for the accident. If you misspeak or misunderstand a question, you may accidentally give the insurance a reason to contest your claim. For example, a representative may attempt to get you to admit that you did not see the threat due to being distracted. While this may not seem like a serious thing to admit, it can allow the defense to argue that you were partly responsible for the accident.
Due to this risk, you should make sure to refer any and all questions from the insurance to your attorney. Your attorney can help ensure that you fully understand the meaning of the question, which will help you to give an answer that does not accidentally compromise your standing in the case.
Can You Avoid A Trial And Still Receive Compensation?
The thought of experiencing a stressful trial where you are put on the witness stand and questioned can be something that you may want to avoid. Trials can be very lengthy and costly for all parties involved, which means that many attorneys will prefer to settle these disputes through negotiations. These negotiations are often done through a process known as mediation. During mediation, a neutral arbiter will work to help the two sides come to a mutually acceptable agreement. Depending on the complexity of the disputes, this process can be rather lengthy, but your attorney will be present to help you to get the best deal possible. If mediation fails to address some of the core issues of the dispute, it may still be necessary to go through a trial, but this trial may only focus on the matters that were not resolved during the negotiations. This can allow both sides to minimize the expenses and uncertainties that come with trying a case. Contact a personal injury attorney for more information.
