Chicago
Case Types We Handle
Personal Injuries
Car Accidents
Truck Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
Bicycle Accidents
Construction Accidents
Nursing Home Abuse
Wrongful Death
Slip and Fall Accidents
Daycare Injury & Abuse
Edwardsville
Case Types We Handle
Personal Injuries
Car Accidents
Truck Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
Bicycle Accidents
Nursing Home Abuse
Wrongful Death
Slip and Fall Accidents
Daycare Injury & Abuse
Premises Liability
St. Louis
Case Types We Handle
Personal Injuries
Car Accidents
Truck Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
Bicycle Accidents
Construction Accidents
Nursing Home Abuse
Wrongful Death
Slip and Fall Accidents
Daycare Injury & Abuse
Dangerous Drugs
Defective Products
Chemical Exposure

Do You Know What to Expect in an Auto Accident Lawsuit?

News » Do You Know What to Expect in an Auto Accident Lawsuit?

With the burdens of injury, destroyed property, medical costs, lost wages, and everything else that comes in dealing with an auto accident, the last thing you want to worry about is handling an auto accident lawsuit.

That is why most people choose to hire an experienced auto accident lawyer to take care of the legal hassles involved in an accident.

But after hiring a lawyer, clients can sometimes feel disconnected from their case.

It can help to have a general understanding of the steps of an auto accident lawsuit so that you know what to expect and don’t feel left out of the process.

After You Hire an Auto Accident Lawyer

You’ve hired an auto accident lawyer, and now you want to know what comes next with your auto accident case.

Generally, after you have hired an auto accident lawyer, the next step will be for your lawyer put together a claim or list of demands based on damages that you incurred due to the accident. The evidence is presented to support these demands.

Your lawyer will likely send these demands to the liable party’s insurance provider in the form of an insurance claim.

A claim is an explanation of what you believe you are entitled to, with evidence to prove that the insuree is liable for any damages you incurred.

If the liable party is uninsured, your lawyer will likely send a demand letter to the liable party’s legal representative.

In most auto accident cases, the liable party will be insured and the insurance provider will handle the matter.

If they are uninsured, you will communicate directly with the liable party or their legal representative.

In the case that the liable party is insured, the claim will be reviewed by an insurance adjuster who can either agree to your demands or, more likely, send a counter-proposal based on their assessment of the accident.

If a counter-proposal is sent, the next step is to negotiate until a settlement is reached. This step is pretty self-explanatory.

Both parties work together to negotiate an agreed upon settlement amount. Each party can continue to make counter-offers on each other’s proposals.

You can either agree upon a final settlement or continue to deny counter-offers.

The negotiation process can be drawn out, and there might be multiple counter-offers.

If you are unable to reach a final settlement, the next step may be filing a formal lawsuit.

If You File a Lawsuit

Generally, the first step is to file a formal legal complaint to the court and to the liable party.

After the complaint has been filed, a hearing date is set. The next step is the discovery process.

During discovery, all evidence is shared between both sides and the court.

During discovery, you may be asked to be deposed for testimony by the defendant or even by your own attorney. Witnesses and passengers may also be deposed.

Depending on the severity of the accident, experts may be brought in for depositions or to give testimony.

After discovery, if a pretrial settlement is not reached, you will start hearings. The trial can either be decided by a judge or jury, depending on what option your lawyer feels is likely to benefit you more. During the hearings, the judge or jury will hear arguments from both sides, review all documents and evidence and make a final decision. This final decision is completely up to the jurors or judge who participate in the hearing. If either party is not satisfied with the decision, it can be appealed. If appealed, the trial will be moved to the appellate courts where it will go through another trial process. After discovery, if a pretrial settlement is not reached, you will start hearings. The trial can either be decided by a judge or jury, depending on what option your lawyer feels is likely to benefit you more. During the hearings, the judge or jury will hear arguments from both sides, review all documents and evidence and then come to a final decision. This final decision is completely up to the jurors or judge who participate in the hearing. If either party is not satisfied with the decision, it can be appealed. If appealed, the trial will be moved to the appellate courts where it will go through another trial process. The process of an auto accident lawsuit can be extremely time-consuming and potentially expensive. Trials can take days to weeks. Court costs add up quickly, and while our personal injury team works on contingency, these costs still come out of the final settlement or award. You should consider these factors before deciding whether or not to take a pre-trial settlement.

How Involved Should you be in Your Auto Accident Lawsuit?

That decision is almost entirely up to you.

Auto accident attorneys appreciate clients who are helpful and comfortable expressing their concerns.

But remember, as your legal representative we have your best interests in mind.

One of the biggest advantages of hiring an auto accident lawyer is having a legal expert who is able to look at your situation from an objective view – leaving emotions out of decision-making.

With that being said, participation is encouraged.

A client’s personal testimony, evidence from the scene, and input on decision making can be very helpful.

At TorHoerman Law, we never want to give our clients the impression that their participation is discouraged, and we never want our clients to feel “out-of-the-loop” when it comes to their case.

If you ever have these feelings of disconnect, you can feel free to reach out to your attorney and express your concerns.

With all the work that goes into an auto accident lawsuit, it is easy to forget to keep clients completely up-to-date with their cases.

Share

CLIENT REVIEWS

quotation
Tom Lewis

TorHoerman Law was responsible for handling a medical case for our family. I was extremely impressed with their professionalism and ability to react quickly. They also did a nice job keeping us updated with the case throughout the process. This was the first time experiencing a situation like this and Tor Hoerman law did an excellent job from start to finish.

quotation
Jordan Terry

TorHoerman Law is an extraordinary law firm – a firm that truly makes the client’s best interests the primary concern. Their team of personal injury lawyers are experienced, personable, and well versed in a range of litigation areas. They are supported by a dedicated team of staff that are as equally friendly and helpful. I would recommend TorHoerman Law for any personal injury litigation needs.

quotation
Dave Woodley

All of my questions were answered quickly and in a way I could understand. Steve and the entire staff were friendly and professional.

quotation
Jordan Butler

I highly recommend this law firm! The attorneys and staff at THL worked hard, communicated every step of the process, kept me well informed at all times, and exceeded all expectations! The staff is kind, considerate, professional, and very experienced. Look no further, call now!

quotation
Maddy Moeller

Top-notch, hardworking attorneys!

quotation
Karen Hersman

A wonderful and professional legal team. They helped me when I needed expert legal representation! Thank you TorHoerman Law!

quotation
Angel Truesdale

They contacted me the next day. Very nice people!

quotation
Paul Graegin

The firm went above and beyond. Thank you for everything.

quotation
Carie Terry

The attorneys at THL were extremely helpful with the legal aspects of setting up my small business.