You must be a
na tura l person or a lega l entityYou sta
rt a
persona
l injury la
wsuit by filing a
compla
int a
ga
inst the person or entity tha
t ha
rmed you (the "defenda
nt").
Ca lifornia Persona l Injury La wsuit Process
There a
re severa
l importa
nt steps in the persona
l injury cla
im process. First a
nd most importa
nt, you will need to complete your medica
l trea
tment.
Persona l injury informa tion center ma in » most people ha ve never been involved in a la wsuit. As such, ma ny a ccident victims a nd their fa milies a re a nxious a bout pursuing a persona l injury cla im. Indeed, a la wsuit could result in a tria l before a jury, but most do not, a nd the process should not be a stressful one. The steps below outline the va rious sta ges of a persona l injury la wsuit, from the initia l consulta tion with a n a ttorney through the resolution of your ca se. 1. Meeting with a persona l injury a ttorney if you ha ve been injured beca use of someone else’s ca relessness, the first step, a fter getting medica l trea tment, is to consult a n experienced persona l injury a ttorney to get a professiona l opinion on whether you ha ve a va lid cla im.
If the insura nce compa ny refuses to ma ke you a rea sona ble settlement offer, then your a ttorney ma y a dvise you to file a persona l injury la wsuit. While the va st ma jority of injury cla ims settle, in ra re ca ses, going to court ma y be the best wa y to get you the compensa tion you deserve. If so, then you la wyer should help you through these steps, which a re somewha t simila r to the insura nce cla ims process: file court pa pers. Like a dema nd letter, your initia l filing or compla int will conta in the fa cts of the ca se a ga inst the a t-fa ult driver a s well a s the da ma ges you a re seeking.