The first thing any new plaintiff wants to know after suffering from serious car accident injuries is: How much money can I get for my case and how soon can I receive it? This burning question is perfectly reasonable. In fact, most people who have been seriously injured in an accident due to no fault of their own have high medical bills they need to pay — not to mention lost wages, future medical and rehab bills and more.
This burning curiosity relating to how much and how soon, however, can get personal injury plaintiffs in a lot of trouble.
Patience is key to navigating a personal injury case
The reason why wanting to know how much and how soon can get plaintiffs into trouble is that they can fall into the hands of less-than-scrupulous attorneys who offer big promises but, in the end, little returns. In fact, the best personal injury lawyers will explain that a lawsuit is never black and white.
Even when cases look cut-and-dry, a wise attorney will take a wait-and-see attitude. Imagine a car accident in which a motorcyclist suffered a traumatic brain injury after getting involved in an accident with a drunk driver. After the collision, the motorcyclist was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with brain injuries and the motorist who hit the biker was arrested on DUI charges.
Is the above-described situation a slam dunk case? Maybe yes, and maybe no. Compare the following two situations:
- During the litigation process, the defense attorney reveal that the injured motorcyclist drove through a red light and the drunk driver wasn’t to blame for the collision?
- During the litigation process, the plaintiff’s attorney reveals that the biker was completely sober, followed all traffic laws and the drunk driver was to blame for the collision.
In scenario “1,” the plaintiff might not have a very sound case for damages. In scenario “2,” the plaintiff has a very good case for damages. As you can see, it’s only through the litigation process that the true value of a case will be revealed — and this takes time.
Learn more about the process of pursuing a personal injury claim
The more personal injury plaintiffs know about the legal process before they begin their cases, the better off they’ll be. An informed plaintiff will make more educated decisions that have a better effect on his or her lawsuit in the long run.