Sometimes unforeseen incidents take place and we don’t see it coming. Sometimes we get into accidents and it doesn’t end well for us.
These, in legal terms, are called personal injury. It means that the injury is taking place on you in various ways.
However, it is difficult to find one, or even become one. It takes time and patience to become one.
This blog will help you to understand the basics of personal injury law. So tighten your seatbelts as we delve into the intricacies of personal injury laws and their career path.
Who Are Personal Injury Lawyers?
Many people go to law school with a passion for helping out people. Personal injury lawyers are those people who provide you with legal assistance when you have suffered any sort of physical or mental harm due to the negligence of some individual.
As a personal injury lawyer, you generally have to work and be associated with tort law. Examples of such personal injury are slip and fall accidents, traffic collisions, and even workplace injuries and professional malpractice.
Roles and Responsibility of a Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury lawyer has a huge spectrum of work modules. Let’s see what they are:
Legal Consultation
As a personal injury lawyer, you’re bound to provide private consultation to potential clients. However, as a personal injury lawyer, you’re NOT supposed to charge them for these consultations.
You might be wondering, why though? Well, let me tell you why. If you ask for fees during the first consultation itself, the client would think twice even before asking for consultation. So during the consultation, it is best to avoid asking for fees on the first visit itself.
Case Evaluation
As a personal injury lawyer or a lawyer in general, you should always evaluate the case you’re assigned to. By evaluating the case, your lawyer would determine the liabilities coming along with the case. It also talks about the ways you can defend your client throughout the case.
As a part of case evaluation, you will also gather essential information about medical records, witness statements, and even accident reports.
Investigation and Evidence Collection
As a layman, you might be wondering why you need these. Well, this evidence builds a strong foundation for the case and strengthens your client’s personal injury claim.
As a personal injury lawyer you need to lay down your foundation of the case and conduct a comprehensive investigation. You also have to collect the natural evidence that will support the injury claims for your client. You have to gather witnesses, analyze police reports, and also consult with field experts to draw the case in your favor.
However, remember to stay ethical with everything you do.
Legal Strategy
You have the complete responsibility of making your client’s case the most compelling and reliable. This would help you win the case and get the damages repaid as they deserve.
You might be wondering what specialty a personal injury lawyer can help you with the case. Well, here comes the twist. Since none of the personal injury cases are identical, you need to craft each case differently. Hence, you have to navigate through the complexities of the legal system and anticipate potential strategies. This helps you to get judgments in your favor.
Compensation and Damages
Let’s address the biggest elephant in the room: the compensation and damages that you need to get for your clients as a debt repaid. As a personal injury lawyer, you hence must get the appropriate compensation for your client. You can mitigate this via a mediation or trial
Bonus Question: When Does a Mediation Become a Trial?
Yes, you might be wondering how a peaceful mediation negotiation turns into a full-fledged trial.
Suppose your client doesn’t get the rightful amount of damages he deserves. In that case, you can move the case to a trial. Now the defendant would have to face the trenches of the legal system.
Client Support and Guidance
As a personal injury lawyer, you definitely understand the physical and mental turmoil your client is going through. In that case, you always have to be there for your client and be their support system. Approach your clients on your own and try to understand the concerns they might be having. Always be compassionate towards them. Try and encourage them towards recovery.
How To Become A Personal Injury Lawyer: Do You Have It In You?
At a glance, it might feel like becoming a personal injury lawyer is a piece of cake. But it isn’t. Let’s see this step-by-step guide to how to become a perfect personal injury lawyer:
Obtain a Baccalaureate Degree
In this case, you have to obtain an undergraduate degree in law from an accredited university. However, before you get your law degree, make sure you choose an appropriate pre-law major. Many tend to choose Political Science to strongly connect with the subject.
However, you can choose any subject for your pre-law major as long as you maintain a stellar GPA to get into a good law school.
Choose the Top Law Schools
As you’re finishing your undergrad, you need to start looking for the top law schools. Ensure you meet their admission criteria and their median GPA.
In the law school, you won’t have to choose any specific branch of law. The courses provide you with proper knowledge of tort law. Hence, you don’t have to choose any specific law program to experience its specialty.
Ace Your LSAT
If you have a gap year in between your undergrad or after, you can easily take an LSAT test. This will help you apply to law schools. However, now law schools are even specializing in the GRE or LSAT, so you can easily opt for the GRE to get a better result.
Perfect Your Applications for Law School
If you’re thinking that only a perfect LSAT score can get you into a law school, then you’re wrong. In order to prove that you will thrive in the legal field in the future, you need to impress the administration office with your penmanship.
Create a proper and fun law school application to stand out in the crowd.
Finish Your JD
Your career doesn’t kickstart itself with just a bachelor’s degree. There are many possible doors to unlock after you finish your post-graduation. Finish your JD degree and build a strong connection with your peers. Seek advice from your professors and summer employees.
Pass the Bar Exam
If you’re thinking that after getting a JD you can kickstart your career, then you’re wrong. You need to pass the bar exam. You need to ace your bar exam and get your license to practice law all over the country.
Salary of Personal Injury Lawyers
A personal injury lawyer makes a significant amount of money. In the start, they earn up to $66,269 a year. On average they make around $119,694 a year. Finally, when they become a seasoned professional, they make around $216,190.
Wrapping Up…
So there you have it! Full information on how to become a personal injury lawyer. This blog has finally helped you answer all your questions and clear all your doubts.
However, is there something that we missed? Let us know.
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Mashum Mollah is the feature writer of Search Engine Magazine and an SEO Analyst at iDream Agency. Over the last 3 years, He has successfully developed and implemented online marketing, SEO, and conversion campaigns for 50+ businesses of all sizes. He is the co-founder of Social Media Magazine.
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If you sustain an injury while working in Albany NY, do not hesitate to reach out to the highly experienced Law Offices of Mario S Crisafulli. With a remarkable three decades of expertise in handling Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, and Social Security Disability Claims in Albany NY, they are the go-to professionals for seeking legal assistance.