The discovery phase of any lawsuit is important for several reasons. It is the time when each party in the lawsuit takes the time to gather evidence, testimony, information, and documents from a variety of sources. Without a proper attorney or legal team assisting with the discovery phase of a case, many items can be missed. A personal injury law firm can help. That is why it is important to enlist the assistance of a law firm for your case if you believe it will be taken to court or if there is a possibility of it.
Personal Injuries and Auto Accidents
In cases that involve personal injuries resulting from auto accidents, it is very beneficial to have personal injury lawyers on your side. One of the biggest benefits of using an accident injury lawyer is to prevent insurance companies from taking advantage of you. In these kinds of cases, insurance companies want to do their best to settle the case out of court because it will cost less. In fact, only 4-5% of personal injury cases go to trial according to thelawdictionary.org which gathers statistics from the US Government. That means that around 95-96% are settled before a trial occurs.
In the case of an auto accident, the circumstances of the accident need to be investigated but when they are settled out of court, the discovery phase is less likely to occur. If the settlement will not cover your medical bills and other various damages, then it is not wise to settle with the insurance company.
Importance of the Discovery Phase
The discovery phase consists of a variety of ways to gather the evidence needed. There can be written discovery where there are interrogations of individuals involved in the accident as well as requests for documentation regarding the accident. There can also be oral discovery where depositions of parties involved occur. An attorney interviews witnesses, each party, and even experts. This takes place out of court but the interviews are done under oath.
Questions Asked During Discovery Phase
There are several pieces of information that are gathered during the discovery phase of a personal injury case. Some of the first information gathered is about the injuries sustained during the accident. If there are substantial injuries, then the health care already provided and any that is needed in the future is evaluated. The accident itself is also a major point for the discovery. The goal is to figure out what happened, how it happened, the result of it, and what factors played a role. Additionally, the background of all parties involved, the vehicles involved, and driver records will need to be obtained. There are many components that play a role and must be investigated and a personal injury law firm can help with those components.
Why You Need A Personal Injury Law Firm
Unless you are an attorney and deal with these kinds of cases regularly, you will only be able to scratch the surface of information during the discovery phase and a personal injury law firm can help. Attorneys who specialize in these kinds of cases know what to look for and how to prepare the best argument for a case. If you are not educated in the field, you are likely to miss a lot of things that can help out in your personal injury case. The DMV even recommends using a personal injury attorney for your case if you plan on settling out of court. They state that if your medical bills are in excess of thousands of dollars, you have missed work due to your injuries, or if you have broken two or more bones, it is best to seek the assistance of an attorney for the case and specifically for the discovery phase.
If you are in need of a personal injury law firm in Florida, please contact us for your free case evaluation.
