When Should You Refer a Personal Injury Case?

After devastating injuries, personal injury victims need a personal injury attorney to get them the maximum compensation for their losses. If your law firm doesn’t have the relevant experience or the case is outside your law practice area, referrals may be the answer. We offer quality representation to all our personal injury clients. All you need do is contact the law firm of Sara Williams, Esq. 

What Type of Case Is a Personal Injury?

Few people who’ve heard of personal injury claims, including personal injury victims, understand what makes a case a personal injury matter. A personal injury is any accident or injury that causes someone actual physical or emotional harm. Emotional hurt can include pain and suffering from the accident. 

Types of Personal Injury Cases include:

• Auto Accidents: These include motorcycle accidents, car accidents, and truck accidents that can cause substantial injuries. Auto accidents cause most personal injuries in Alabama. So, it’s great that the injured person can sue the fault party.
• Product Liability: Manufacturers of defective products can also be liable if their faulty products cause people any harm.
• Medical Malpractice: The actions of medical personnel may also result in personal injury cases. Possibly liable medical personnel could include doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, etc. 
• Slip and Fall/Premises Liability: The owner of premises, including employers, have the legal responsibility to safeguard their premises to prevent visitors’ injuries. However, persons can still suffer personal injuries making the premises controller liable.
• Wrongful Death: Finally, all of the accidents and actions above can result in a person’s death. Here, the deceased’s estate can file a wrongful death claim against the fault party. 

How Long Do Victims Have To Sue for Personal Injury?

In the personal injury field, a plaintiff has a definite timeframe within which they must start any personal injury lawsuits. The Alabama Statute of Limitations provides that injured people must file their personal injury claims within two years. 

The time starts counting from the injury date. If the victim does not file their case within two years, the court may dismiss it and deny any remedies. Therefore, it would be best if victims seek legal representation early. It would also help to conclude any personal injury settlements or referral agreements fast in case the matter gets to trial. 

Exceptions to the Alabama Period of Limitations

There are two instances where a two-year personal injury clock can stop ticking. For example, if the victim was a minor or insane at the time of the injury, the time limit doesn’t start counting until they reach the majority. Furthermore, the law will discount any defendant’s period of absence while computing time. 

An excellent personal injury attorney should have sufficient experience with the Statutes of Limitations to help victims begin their injury litigation early. 

Are Personal Injury Lawyers Worth It?

This is one question an injured person is always faced with. Yes, hiring an injury lawyer is the best decision victims can make. With their experience, attorneys significantly increase a victim’s chance of getting the maximum compensation.

Below are three key reasons for getting a lawyer. 

Proving Fault is Hard

People believe that they weren’t at fault for their injury. However, the other party or parties will probably make the same claim too. No insurance company would take a victim’s word for it either. So, victims have to prove the other party’s responsibility to recover compensation. That’s where personal injury lawyers come in. 

For Claims Valuation

It’s not easy to determine exactly how much a claim is worth. Personal injury lawyers are acquainted with the various means of valuing personal injury claims. They examine the claim and tell their clients how much it’s worth. They also provide legal advice.

Insurance Companies May Not Play Nice

No one loves losing money, especially insurance companies. A successful personal injury case means that the fault party’s insurer will cover the personal injury victims’ expenses, including attorney fees. Therefore, insurance adjusters may employ tricks to escape liability. Where they accept to pay, they may offer less than the case is worth. However, a personal injury lawyer has relevant experience in this field. So, they know how to protect their client’s rights and yet get the best insurance deal.

How Do You Win a Personal Injury Claim?

Every personal injury claim will either end in a trial or a settlement. There isn’t any foolproof means of winning a personal injury claim. A case, no matter the facts, may go either way – a loss or a win. However, there are things you can do to increase your chances of winning as an attorney. 

• Get Medical Records: The first mistake injury victims make is postponing medical treatment. This isn’t good for their case for many reasons. Firstly, they may not receive the proper care that they need. Furthermore, your opponent may claim that your client’s injuries weren’t severe if they survived without immediate medical attention. Therefore, it would be best to advise your client to see a doctor after a crash, even if they feel fine. 
• Get the Evidence: From medical records to receipts for expenses, and even physical and photographic evidence, you have to get all the evidence. This is because you can’t win a personal injury claim without sufficient evidence establishing fault and the extent of the damage. 
• Consider Using Expert Witnesses: An expert’s testimony will do more for your case than that of a layperson. The best personal injury firms know this and rely heavily on specialists. Expert witnesses that can positively impact your case include doctors, accident reconstruction experts, orthopedics, etc. 

How Do Lawyers Get Personal Injury Referrals?

Personal injury referrals are becoming sure means of winning personal injury lawsuits. Referrals occur when a firm that was first briefed on a matter transfers the claim to another firm or attorney. This is often the result of a referral agreement and a referral fee arrangement. Happy clients may even refer others to you.

When Should a Personal Injury Lawyer Refer a Case?

Generally, a personal injury attorney will refer a case to another lawyer or law firm where:

• The case is complex or beyond their area of expertise
• They lack the necessary resources to prosecute the case
• The suit is filed away from their practice location
• They don’t have the time, or they want to focus on other issues

If you take the tips below, you can get many more personal injury referrals:

Distinguish Yourself in Your Field

Persons refer cases to people who can win. Therefore, they’ll go for the best in the field in question. Getting referrals won’t be difficult if you’re a great personal injury attorney. You can distinguish yourself in trial results, work ethics, timely delivery, etc. These are all attractive referral features.

Build a Network

Referrals require a level of trust. So, lawyers won’t refer clients to people they don’t know. If you want more referrals, you’ll have to build relationships with other lawyers. This way, if they get any cases they can’t handle, they have you on speed dial because of your relationship. Your network matters, so you can:

• Get involved in your community
• Volunteer and join associations
• Increase your firm’s online presence
• Use social media and employ client reviews

The Best Personal Injury Referral Lawyers Can Help You!

Do you have a potential client with a personal injury claim that may be outside your law firm’s area of expertise? Providing legal services that you aren’t best equipped for may be detrimental for your client. So, it would be best to refer the case to the best Alabama injury law firm.

We have the required financial resources and a great track record of giving the injured person the adequate representation they deserve. Our lawyers also have multiple years of experience winning personal injury trials and settlements for Alabama residents. You can call us today for consultations and referrals.