| Many times, we try to come to a settlement for | | | | known as discovery. Both the parties will be allowed |
| compensation for a personal injury with the insurance | | | | to personally investigate the evidence as well |
| company but are unable to. With time, the insurance | | | | witnesses they wish to use. This process even allows |
| companies have been seen to take a very | | | | the two parties to send as well as answer written |
| aggressive approach to settle the personal injury | | | | questions. They may request for important |
| claims. There are many such companies that offer | | | | documents or such materials that have any |
| relatively lesser insurance claim amount even if the | | | | connection to the case. The attorney of the |
| personal injury suffered is very grave. There are | | | | insurance company has permission to go through the |
| many such cases when the insurance company will | | | | medical records of your personal injury, your work |
| negotiate with you to find out about you, your | | | | history and your financial statements. |
| lawyer as well as your doctor. When the lawsuit is | | | | In case of a lawsuit that involves claims for your |
| filed, the deadlines and trial dates will be set. This will | | | | personal injuries, the attorney of your insurance |
| induce the insurance company to try and settle the | | | | company may be given the right to have their own |
| case. | | | | doctor check you. Thus, in this discovery phase, you |
| A lawsuit can be begun only when the respective | | | | might be required to present yourself before a |
| papers are filed in the court and the fee paid. You will | | | | medical examiner or a psychological evaluator. The |
| personally have to hand in a copy of the papers with | | | | time of completion of the discovery process may |
| the complaint against the insurance company. Do not | | | | take months or even years, depending on which |
| wait to hire your personal injury attorney till the last | | | | country you are in. After this process, both the sides |
| moment. There are many personal injury attorneys | | | | will try and go in for settlement discussions. They |
| who will refuse to take up any case where they feel | | | | may even go in for mediation in which a retired judge |
| the time is insufficient to successfully investigate | | | | or a well-experienced attorney will supervise their |
| about the case, locate the defendant as well as file | | | | settlement. Mediation is a voluntary procedure. |
| the suit. You are given a fixed time limit to settle the | | | | In case there is no settlement regarding the personal |
| matter and serve the defendant company personally. | | | | injury claim, till the end of the discovery process, |
| Once the defendant is served, the two parties will | | | | then the case proceeds to trial. Both the parties will |
| take part in a process in which they seek information | | | | have the option whether they want to try the case |
| from each other regarding the case. This process is | | | | before a judge or a jury. |