When you’re hurt because of a personal injury, you may wonder if there’s a right time to contact an attorney. While it’s important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side, your timing when you contact your attorney can make a difference. Ultimately, the sooner you get a lawyer on your side, the sooner they can start working on your case. Here are some good times to make contact with an attorney after an injury:
After you obtain life-saving emergency services
When you suffer a personal injury, the first step is to obtain life-saving treatment. It’s important to seek immediate medical attention. First and foremost, this is for your safety. It’s also the first step in documenting your injuries in order to bring a claim for damages.
Before you make a statement
If you make a statement at the scene of your injury, the other side can use it against you. You might mean well but say things that are damaging for your case. What you say can be admissible in court either as an admission by opponent or an excited utterance. It’s important to work with your personal injury attorneys first so that they can represent your best interests.
Before you file your case
Your first filing in court is very important. You need to bring your case in the appropriate court. In some cases, there might be more than one appropriate place to bring your case. Your attorney can help you determine which location is the most advantageous.
Legal documents have to be prepared carefully. You must carefully state what happened and the legal basis for your recovery under New York law. Errors in your pleading documents can spell disaster for your case. Working with your personal injury lawyer as soon as possible can help you make sure you get this right the first time.
Before the filing deadline
When you’re hurt, you only have a limited amount of time to bring a claim for damages. A statute of limitations applies to prevent you from bringing a case at all if you miss this deadline. It’s important to consult with an attorney as soon as you can after an injury in order to make sure that you don’t miss your chance to recover.
Before you gather evidence
An attorney can offer you significant advantages as you prepare your case. A personal injury attorney has years of experience building strong cases, and they can put that experience to work for you. They can conduct witness interviews. They can make witnesses sit for depositions under oath.
If you need documents from a government agency like the police, your attorney has a way to demand those records. They can refer you to the right experts to create a record of your treatment. This process is important to build your case, so that you’re successful at trial.
Before you negotiate with the other side
Part of an attorney’s job is to negotiate with the other party. The other side might offer to pay you something for your injuries. It’s your attorney’s job to present your case to them in a way that encourages them to offer you a fair amount. Your attorney can also give you advice about whether a settlement offer is fair. Working with an attorney can take the stress off your hands and put in the hands of a professional.
Before trial
When you march into court, it’s critical to have a seasoned professional sitting with you at the plaintiff’s table. This attorney can help you tell your story to the jury. They know the intricacies of New York’s courts and how to best present your case.
When you hire a personal injury lawyer, they go to work right away. The sooner you work with them, the sooner they can apply New York laws to your favor in order to maximize your recovery. Once you’ve taken care for your immediate safety, the sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner they can start fighting for you.
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