Canada Law Firms

If you think that you have a personal injury case that you can win, it is in your best interest to hire a lawyer to help you in that pursuit. As not all lawyers will be a good fit for your case, it is important that you know what to look for before you hire someone to represent you.

Will Your Lawyer Actually Represent You?

It is possible that your case will be transferred to a junior associate or a paralegal who will gather evidence and otherwise prepare for trial. While these people are trained professionals who will give their best effort, they may not understand the law like an experienced lawyer does. Therefore, be sure that he or she will actually represent you in court if that is what you want or need.

Does the Lawyer Actually Believe That You Have a Case?

If your lawyer doesn’t believe that you have a case, it is unlikely that he or she is going to provide the type of representation that you deserve. During the initial consultation, study the attorney’s body language as well as the questions he or she may ask. A relatively short meeting may also be an indication that a particular lawyer doesn’t believe that your allegations are true or that you can win your case. That is not someone you want by your side in court or during settlement talks.

Does the Lawyer Have a Track Record?

Ideally, you will hire someone who has won large settlements or jury awards in the past. While prior outcomes don’t guarantee any particular result in your case, it does mean that the potential is there to obtain maximum compensation for injuries and other damages. It also means that opposing counsel in your case is aware of how good your legal representative may be, which could lead to a large settlement offer right away instead of spending time fighting would is ultimately a futile battle.

Conversely, you may want to check an lawyer’s record to find out if he or she was ever reprimanded or found to be in violation of ethics or other rules. If so, you may want to consider someone else who is more likely to represent your interests in a legal and moral way.

If you have been hurt, a personal injury lawyer Toronto may help you obtain compensation to help pay for medical bills or other living expenses. In the event that you cannot work because of your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your lost earnings or other benefits.

Personal injury law is the field of law that concerns recovery of damages for injury by the injured person. Attorneys that practice personal injury law are known as personal injury attorneys. That is a legal specialty that is recognized by most state bar associations. Personal injury attorneys represent injured people in seeking recovery of damages caused by injury. In order for the injured person to recover for an injury, it must be proven that the injury is the result of the negligence of the party recovery is sought from. In other words, if A makes a careless left turn with a car in front of B and B is injured as a result, B may seek to recover from A the value of that injury. That value includes medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. Claims are also made for damages known as pain and suffering and emotional distress.

PI Lawyers Specialize in Damage Recovery
Many attorneys specialize in personal injury lawsuits and advertise their services very widely. The Yellow Pages are rife with advertising by personal injury lawyer Toronto. There is also extensive television advertising and even online advertising by personal injury attorneys. A Google search for personal injury will yield listings by personal injury attorneys practicing in your area. Lawyers are highly compensated for their personal injury work and they seek it actively.

Personal Injury Lawyers Advertise Their Services
Personal injury law is an area of legal practice that has developed a reputation for the pursuit of excessive or even unwarranted litigation. Advertising by personal injury lawyers does seem almost to promote the idea that someone injured in an accident can realize a substantial recovery. Of course, lawyers actively promote the service because they are well paid for it. These cases are generally taken by lawyers on a contingency fee basis, meaning that the lawyer earns a percentage of the ultimate recovery. That is generally one-third of the recovery, although there are lawyers that advertise discounts, some charging only one-quarter of the recovery. Few of these cases proceed to trial, but most are settled by insurance companies out of court. Personal injury attorneys are rarely called upon to litigate personal injury claims.

Some People Would Limit Personal Injury Recoveries
Personal injury law has become very controversial. In some American states, there have been movements afoot to develop and enforce tort litigation. Tort is the area of law in which damage claims are made for injuries suffered as a result of negligence. Personal injury law is tort law. Activists seeking tort reform would seek to limit or eliminate the ability of claimants to pursue claims for tort losses, or to reduce the amount of damages available to claimants. Some activists seek to have tort recovery removed from the court system altogether and placed into a form of social security whereby compensation would be derived from governmental funds. Such a system has existed in New Zealand since 1972. The purpose is to reduce the overwhelming cost of litigation while ensuring that injured people and parties are compensated for their injury.

The Injured Should Have the Right to Recover for Their Injuries
In the end, personal injury lawyers do serve a valuable purpose. A person who is seriously injured in an accident should have a right to recover his or her losses, including medical care and lost wages, and for very severe injuries, even pain and suffering. Personal injury lawyers learn the ins and out of negotiating with insurance carriers so as to maximize recovery, and that does benefit the claimant. Personal injury lawyers can become highly skilled in their area of practice.

The natural process of litigation for a personal injury case could take months or years to conclude. In the meantime, you may lose your job, your home and your loved ones while you are waiting for the judge to decide who is right or wrong. Personal injury law firms Toronto lawyers can negotiate for an out-of-court settlement if you hire one to work your case.

Why Settle out of Court?

The most beneficial reason to settle out of court is to save yourself time. Time is something that you may not have when it comes to paying your household bills, medical bills and other expenses. An out-of-court settlement can put the money that you need directly into your hands so that you can pick up the shattered pieces of your life and move on. You can receive your settlement in one lump sum instead of possibly having to deal with a structured settlement. Furthermore, the settlement will give you peace of mind and a sense of accomplishment.

The Downside to Settling out of Court

The downside to settling out of court is that you may miss out on some extra funds like the punitive damages. Punitive damages are monies that the judge orders offenders to pay when their negligence is super heinous. A drunken driving incident would warrant punitive damages, for example. Aside from lacking the additional compensation, out-of-court settlements are awesome happenings.

The Average Turnaround Time

It is difficult to tell how quickly an out-of-court settlement will wrap up, but it is certainly much faster than an in-court ruling will. The offender may agree to get the settlement check out to you rather quickly so that you can pay all of the items that you have to pay. You could have a settlement check in your hand in a matter of weeks if your attorney is good. Many offenders agree to settle out of court because they know they are wrong and they accept responsibility. Others are willing to take the case all the way to the end because they believe that they are innocent of being neglectful. The right attorney will know just how to persuade the other side.

Contact a Toronto Personal Injury Firm Today

The first step in getting your case on the ball is to contact a personal injury firm. You can use a number of resources to find the best personal injury firm in Toronto. A comparison tool, a network, a friend or an online search could lead you to where you need to be. Once you find three to five law firms, you will need to check client reviews and ensure that you are getting an amazing personal injury law firms Toronto provider.