|
In order to maximize the dollar
amount you receive as compensation for your injuries, you should, above all
else, contact your attorney immediately upon being injured. Prompt
and proper gathering of information and evidence is essential to verification
and documentation of a personal injury claim. Identifying witnesses and
recording their observations will be more difficult with the passage of time, as
memories fade and people move. Missteps in the earlier stages of a case
can compromise your claim.
Your attorney can assist you in
obtaining insurance information (and identifying other sources of
compensation) regarding the individual or business that injured you.
Determining who is at fault (establishing "liability") is a complex and
necessary process, especially since your compensation can be substantially
reduced by the amount of your own fault. Documenting your damages (e.g.,
medical expenses, lost income, property loss, pain and suffering, physical
disability, emotional distress, or loss of consortium) is perhaps the most
important task concerning your injury. Obtaining prompt, consistent, and
proper treatment for your injuries is the best means to assess and determine
your damages. Others, including insurance companies, will not compensate
you for injuries for which there is no verification.
Your attorney can submit a claim
and usually negotiate a settlement on your behalf. Reasonable clients on
average tend to obtain more reasonable settlements, while stubborn and
uncooperative clients tend on average to substantially drive up the costs and
expenses of their case and reduce their net compensation. Hard work and
thorough preparation are necessary in order to reduce costs and avoid
delays. Your cooperation and input at every stage of the process are
essential to the success of your case. Failure to cooperate or keep your
attorney fully and truthfully informed can significantly reduce the amount of
your compensation and delay the resolution of your case.
Trials are very expensive and
time consuming, and they are best reserved for excellent cases involving
substantial damages. Nonetheless, every case should be prepared as if a
trial is inevitable, for it is often impossible to determine which cases will
have to be tried. The key to winning trials is to treat each and every
case from the beginning as if a trial is necessary.
|
|
Personal injury cases are usually
taken on a "contingency" basis, so our attorney fees are
contingent upon us winning your case. We get paid a percentage of the
total amount we recover for you, so we have a great incentive to obtain for you
the highest recovery reasonably possible. Costs and expenses are usually advanced
by us and not due until the resolution of your case.
DLC donates substantial funds to a charity set up by
Timothy
Michael Darden, DLC's founder, and thus clients of DLC indirectly provide
great assistance to the disabled, terminally ill, and disadvantaged. |
![DLC Logo [© 1994-2006 Darden Law Corporation. All rights reserved. The Eagle/Scales/Gavel DLC Logo, DardenLaw.com, DLC, and Darden Law are service marks of Darden Law Corporation.]](../_borders/top.ht1-dlc%20logo.jpg)
