If you ever get into an accident or incident that causes you either physical or psychological injury, you can avail of justice at the local civil court. A personal injury lawyer can help you handle these proceedings and increase your chances of winning. They are civil litigators specializing in Tort Law, focusing on helping victims get fair compensation and discourage similar behavior in the future. Read on to find out more.

Who is a personal injury lawyer?
A personal injury lawyer helps individuals seek financial compensation for injuries caused in various situations. Common situations where personal injury lawyers can help include accidents, workplace injuries, and medical malpractice, among others. They specialize in Tort Law, which covers civil litigations for injuries or wrongdoings that are caused due to negligence. The idea here is to help clients receive fair compensation for their loss caused due to negligence and set an example to prevent similar incidents in the future.

What are the important duties of a personal injury lawyer?
The job of a personal injury lawyer is to ensure that their client is compensated for their losses. But, of course, it is not a simple task. There are many other duties that they have to perform to ensure that their client gets the best possible outcome. Some of their common duties include the following:

Explain legal rights to clients
If a client who has suffered from a loss as a result of an accident or wrongdoing seeks compensation, they can go to a personal injury lawyer. The very first step that the lawyer undertakes is explaining to the clients their rights and if they have a case. This involves elaborating on the accident and legal issues. Note that different states have different laws about things such as the statute of limitations and negligence.

Provide legal advice
Once the client has learned about their rights and understands their case, the personal injury lawyer then proceeds to provide advice. This includes walking the client through the legal system and explaining complicated legal processes. Personal injury lawyers are also required to break down the fine print on documents and explain legal terms and jargon to their clients. They also need to break down the situation to their client and help them make a decision that is not guided by emotion.

Represent the client in court
One of the most important jobs of a lawyer is to represent their client in court. But, this is a rare occurrence for personal injury lawyers because most cases of injury are resolved via settlement. However, if the case goes to trial, then the personal injury lawyer will follow proper protocol.

Aside from these three primary duties, personal injury lawyers also help with other aspects that assist in fighting the case.

Providing professional investigators
Personal Injury lawyers often have their own professional and private investigators at the scene of the accident. These investigators usually carry out witness interviews, create and prove theories, and note the victim’s account of the accident to get a clear picture of the accident. Personal injury lawyers usually have a rooster of professional investigators that provide their advice and expert opinion in the case if required.

Assess damages
As a victim, most individuals usually only think about the immediate effects of a certain accident or wrongdoing. But, in many cases, these situations also lead to long-term damages. A personal injury lawyer helps victims understand both the short-term and long-term effects of a particular injury, helping them obtain fair compensation and justice for the same. In case a client is disabled because of an accident, then the lawyer will try to account for factors like treatment, rehabilitation, and loss of job. They will also account for short-term factors such as hospital bills. In most cases, they require the help of an economist or actuary to help with these assessments.

What education do you require to become a personal injury lawyer?
If you choose to become a lawyer, you need to get a law degree and pass the bar examinations. To start with the degree, you first need to clear the undergraduate degree and also clear the Law School Admission Test, commonly known as the LSAT. Once you’ve cleared your law degree, then you need to specialize in Civil Trial Advocacy. This requires you to clear a certification program that is accredited by the National Board of Legal Speciality. In most states, personal injury lawyers also need to pass other examinations.