There are several situations that amount to personal injury cases which are majorly caused by someone else carelessness, negligence, or intentional acts which result in physical and mental injuries. Primarily, most of these situations are caused by the negligence of the other party, and there has to be solid proof as to their actions for a valid case. For negligence to be proved the following factors must be determined in the light of the law;
- There was a duty of care. The party accused of negligence must have had an obligation to act prudently at the time of the incident but failed on their responsibilities.
- Breach of duty. This comes to play when the negligent party knowingly or through carelessness exposed you as the injured party to substantial risks which resulted in the injuries or mental trauma.
- There was harm. As the injured party, there has to be substantial evidence that the actions of the accused party resulted in suffering loss which provides the grounds for compensation.
- Direct cause. This is where there are deliberate actions or lack of actions by the negligent party that led to the injuries.
As a victim of an accident, all these factors are primarily ingrained in tort laws, and for their verification, there is the necessity of having legal expertise. Since you lack the know-how on legal matters, a personal injury attorney in Bellevue provides a raised platform for approaching any case. Primarily, this is because they have the professional ability to investigate all claims which in turn sheds light on the reality of what took place on the day of the accident. In taking the time to dig into the core of a case, attorneys are able to prove the four factors which are required in a court of law for a claim to be considered valid.
Another important responsibility of attorneys is gathering evidence which establishes liability as to who is responsible for the accident and as proof on the extent of damages or injuries the plaintiff suffered. For road accidents in Bellevue, this might involve having camera footages that show the turn of events, tracking & having witness statements, analyzing police reports, and using pictures of the accident. On the other hand to support the claims on the loss suffered by a client they will require medical records, employment documents, property damages reports, and bills.
Typically, most personal injury cases are settled by insurance companies that have the responsibility of acting on behalf of their policyholders. Unlike the general expectation, negotiating with insurance companies is never a walk in the park as they are all after minimizing payouts to maximize their profits. As such getting to negotiations with these seasoned professionals alone is shooting yourself on the foot as they will always have the upper hand. Introducing a lawyer into the picture reverses the situations as they will remain firm on the amount demanded on the claim. In the event that there is no agreement, the attorney can always prepare a complaint against the defendant and head to the courts to ensure your rights as an accident victim are protected.
