Have you been injured a car accident? Here are some Stillwater car accident tips that will help you get the compensation you deserve.
Car Accident Settlement Timeline
You may be wondering, how long do car wreck cases last if we have to file a lawsuit? That depends on a lot of things. The defense attorneys want the cases to last awhile; it’s called litigation fatigue. What happens is that, when a plaintiff or someone who’s injured in a wreck is seeking justice, seeking an appropriate amount of money for their injuries and their medical expenses, the insurance companies will drag the case out as long as they can by filing motions, delaying getting discovery to you, and doing everything they can to delay the case, in the hope that the person injured will get tired of waiting, will get tired of the system, and throw their hands up in the air and say, “I’ll take anything they offer me now; I’m tired of this. “I recommend to people when we have to file a lawsuit to get money and compensation for your injuries, you have to be ready for the long haul. From the date of the wreck, it could take several years to get the case resolved. You have to do all the depositions and all the discovery, and take doctor’s depositions, then you have to find the time when the court can have a trial. You have to look at all the attorney’s schedules and the judges schedules, so it is a journey and you need to have the right lawyer with you in this journey that will be able to help explain your rights to you, and help keep the case moving quickly as possible. Don’t expect this to be a quick fix if you have to file a lawsuit, because once you enter the legal world of litigation in Oklahoma, you lose control of the timing.
Car Accident Claim Value
A lot of times people come in on our first visit in dealing with a car wreck and they ask me, “What do you think my case is worth?” Well, it’s not that easy to say. It all depends on how seriously you’re injured, how long it takes you to recover, how much work you missed, and what type of medical procedures need to occur. You can’t really tell what your claim is worth until you get to a place where you feel comfortable with where you are physically, and emotionally. That takes months, if not years. A lot of times, too, your claim might be worth as much as there is insurance out there. It takes a while to figure out how much insurance is involved in the case. It’s not an easy question. I can’t give you an answer up front. I can give you a range, possibly, but I hate to do that because you just don’t know what your body is going to do in reacting to an injury and what is going to be discovered from the person who caused the wreck. Sometimes values of the case could go up because of the person who caused the wreck’s behavior, their history, and their attitude at the scene was unsavory. Bottom line, in Oklahoma, it’s not a decision I can make up front to tell you how much your claim is worth. It takes time to see how the case unfolds, the evidence unfolds, and how your injuries progress and how quickly you heal.
Choosing a Car Accident Attorney
One of the most important decisions a person who’s been injured in an auto wreck needs to make is selecting an attorney. There are a lot of attorneys out there. There are a lot of attorneys who want your business. There are a lot of attorneys that hold themselves as a competent attorney in personal injury wrecks; that’s just not the case. When you select a personal injury attorney who you want to represent you, there are a couple things you need to look at. One, how much of their practice is dedicated to personal injury? Do they work regularly with personal injury cases? Do they go to trial? A lot of lawyers settle all their cases; they don’t go to trial. Ask your attorney how and when the last time is they went to trial and what the result was. When Choosing a Car Accident Attorney Another issue is how competent they are in what they do. You can look at their reviews. You can ask for references from people that they’ve previously represented. The other issues that come out in personal injury cases is you need to ask them the length of the trial. The other question I think is important is, who’s going to be handling your case? A lot of big firms will hand you off to an associate with very little experience and you’ll wonder who really represents you in the case. In our firm, I will be representing any injury case personally, from start to finish.
The big thing is if you like your attorney. Do you connect with them? Are they a person who understands what it is to be an Oklahoman and the things that you have to deal with? When you’re injured, your whole life is turned upside down and you need to make sure the attorney you select understands that and you feel comfortable with them.
You’re the boss. You get to select your attorney, and you need to make that decision wisely. You might want to interview several attorneys before you make your decision; just don’t select the one that you’ve talked to the very first time. Just because people spend a lot of money on TV doesn’t mean they’re the best attorney; that just means they spend more money advertising. Select the attorney you believe will represent you fairly and aggressively.
Were you or a loved one seriously injured after a motor vehicle wreck and have questions about these Stillwater car accident tips? Contact a Stillwater car accident lawyer at Murray Law Firm today for a free confidential consultation and case evaluation. Let our experience work for you.