What Is Involved in Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
A Georgia Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You Throughout the Entire Process
The process of filing a Georgia personal injury lawsuit is complex. While each injury claim is unique, the following stages are likely to occur in nearly every case:
- Investigation. Your attorney gathers information relevant to your claim, such as accident photographs, video footage, medical records, witness accounts, receipts and other records of financial costs, and police reports. Your lawyer may also hire an expert to evaluate or recreate an accident scene.
- Early settlement negotiations. Depending on the evidence your legal team has gathered, your attorneys may engage in preliminary settlement negotiations prior to formally filing a lawsuit. In this early stage, your Georgia personal injury attorneys present the evidence they compiled and attempt to come to an agreement on a fair settlement figure.
- Filing your claim. With the assistance of your attorney, you formally file a lawsuit with the courts, thus officially launching your case. The individual or party against whom you are filing is served with the complaint and is required to respond within a certain amount of time.
- Discovery. The attorneys representing each party continue to gather facts regarding your injury, delving deeper and seeking official documents such as notarized statements, interrogatories, or depositions. It is especially important during this phase that your lawyer understands Georgia personal injury law and is well versed in researching and obtaining all information surrounding your case. Moreover, when you choose an attorney from Henry Spiegel Milling LLP, you know you have resources like expert analysts and medical doctors on your side.
- Pretrial motions. Each side files a motion requesting that the judge make a particular decision to resolve the case—usually either for summary judgment (by the plaintiff) or for a dismissal (by the defendant).
- Mediation. The parties involved meet with a neutral mediator to try to reach a settlement prior to going to trial. If during this or any other phase a settlement is agreed upon, the litigation process concludes.
- Trial. If no settlement can be reached, the case proceeds to trial. Attorneys for both sides present evidence, call upon witnesses and experts, and argue on behalf of their clients. Once all information is presented, the judge decides on the outcome of the case and awards compensation when necessary.
Our Personal Injury Attorneys Help Clients Throughout Georgia
Personal injuries can diminish the quality of your life. If you were hurt and need a personal injury attorney to help you pursue fair compensation in Atlanta, Decatur, DeKalb County, Stone Mountain, or in any part of Georgia, contact the law firm of Henry Spiegel Milling LLP today to speak with one of our qualified lawyers. Our personal injury attorneys regularly represent clients suffering from negligence-related injuries.
