When you’re a victim of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, the resulting injuries and damages can have many financial and physical consequences affecting your quality of life.
Personal finances may take a severe hit due to the sudden burden of medical bills, and victims often face mental trauma. Some personal injury cases may even result in death. And although some losses cannot be made up for, you may be able to claim compensation for some of your financial loss with the help of a personal injury lawyer.
The Advocates is a team of some of Boise’s best personal injury attorneys. We work to protect the interest of our clients, helping them throughout the claim process. If you are a personal injury victim, book a free consultation with The Advocates’ attorneys to discuss your case and how we can get you the settlement you deserve.
Any injury caused by someone else’s negligence, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is a personal injury. Victims of personal injury cases are entitled to seek compensation from the person at fault to cover their medical bills and other economic and non-economic damages.
Here’s a list of common personal injuries cases The Advocates of Boise, Idaho, work with:
Negotiating with insurance companies without the right experience and knowledge will likely reduce the settlement amount for your case. In some situations, it may even result in your personal injury claim being rejected.
This is because insurance companies, like all businesses, work to protect their own interests. They will often try to shift blame to the victim so that the insurers can get away with paying little to no compensation. Some even exploit legal loopholes for this purpose.
To receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries, it is in your best interest to hire an experienced and qualified personal injury lawyer. The Advocates’ attorneys are skilled, experienced, and ready to manage your claim. We work with you every step of the way. From filing your personal injury claim to negotiating with insurance companies to litigation, we can handle every aspect of your case.
When you hire a personal injury lawyer from The Advocates, you have a professional and experienced attorney who works on your behalf. Research shows that hiring an attorney can increase settlement amounts 2 to 3 times compared to representing yourself.
Insurance companies are rarely willing to pay the compensation you deserve for your injury, even if their client is clearly at fault. Working with insurers and insurance adjusters can be very frustrating. They may try to persuade injury victims to take a quick settlement to avoid responsibility for the long-term impacts of injuries. At The Advocates, our personal injury attorneys are familiar with the tactics insurance companies use to reduce or reject claims. Our understanding and experience make us well-equipped to hold responsible parties accountable and ensure insurance companies pay a fair settlement amount for your losses.
As your representing attorney, an Advocate will collect all the facts and evidence necessary to justify your injury claim. This typically includes analyzing police reports, viewing your medical records, and speaking to eyewitnesses.
Most personal injury claims are settled out of court. However, if negotiations with the insurance company do not yield favorable results, your attorney will provide you the option to take the case to court for a final settlement.
Courtroom trials can be stressful and frustrating even with legal counsel by your side, especially when recovering from an accident, no matter how big or small. Our attorneys take all the necessary measures to complete an out-of-court settlement in favor of our clients. But when this isn’t possible, they are ready to litigate on your behalf.
It’s important to note that all attorneys are lawyers, but not all lawyers are attorneys. An attorney is a lawyer who can litigate or trial a case. Every member of The Advocates is a licensed attorney.
If you have recently been involved in a personal injury in or around Boise, contact The Advocates immediately, even before speaking with an insurance company. Follow these steps after an injury:
Seeking medical attention immediately after you’ve been injured serves many purposes. Firstly, it can reduce the impact of your injuries and potentially reduce the likelihood of prolonged pain and suffering.
Injuries resulting from car accidents or slips and falls are more likely to result in concussions or other head trauma. These types of injuries can have delayed symptoms or even become fatal if not detected and treated in time.
Another reason for seeking immediate medical attention is to get your injuries recorded by a licensed professional. Your medical records will be used by your attorney to prove the validity of your personal injury claim.
The severity of your injuries plays a crucial role in determining the value of your case, but so does your diligence in protecting your health. People who initially dismiss their injuries have more difficulty establishing a personal injury claim. Seeking immediate medical attention shows that you put every possible effort into preventing your injuries from becoming more severe.
We also suggest taking photographs and videos of your injuries while at the hospital or shortly after being discharged. Photos and videos are valuable evidence.
Before filing your compensation claim, your lawyer will need to know the details of your accident. The Advocates recommends recording all the specific facts of the incident, either in writing or via audio/video recording. Do this as soon as possible – the longer you wait, the higher the likelihood you will forget some details.
The at-fault party’s insurance company will try to avoid paying or push to pay as little compensation as possible. Accident victims should only interact with the insurer after consulting with our attorneys.
Generally, the insurance company will assign an insurance adjuster to investigate to verify the personal injury and accident claims. But if you are not aware of their tactics, there’s no way you can spot an attempt to weaken your case.
Our qualified and experienced personal injury lawyers will work with the insurance companies, so you don’t have to — we deal with the stress so you can focus on recovery.
Generally, you can file a personal injury lawsuit up to two years after the date of the incident. But there are a few exceptions to this, depending on the exact type of accident or injury.
For example, victims of surgical errors that involve leaving a foreign object in their body have two years from the date of discovery (rather than the incident) to file a lawsuit. Similarly, if a child is a victim, the child or their parents will have two years from the date of the child’s 18th birthday to file a lawsuit.
Missing these deadlines can render your compensation claim invalid. Book a free consultation with The Advocates of Boise to understand these rules and regulations.
Claiming compensation for a personal injury inflicted by the government in the state of Idaho (i.e., its offices or employees) is a two-step process with a much shorter deadline.
Attorneys must first file a “notice of claim” identifying the responsible government office or employee before filing the compensation lawsuit within 180 days of the incident. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to get the claim started.
It is important to remember that not every personal injury lawyer is an attorney, meaning not everyone is qualified or licensed to represent you in court. The Advocates’ team of attorneys works with both court cases and out-of-court settlements.
There is no way to predict if you will need to file a lawsuit against an insurer before filing for compensation; it’s always better to hire an attorney from the start just in case your claim progresses to a trial. An attorney will not only deal with the insurer but also take care of court proceedings if the need arises.
We at The Advocates have a diverse team of personal injury attorneys that can cater to different client needs.
One of the primary responsibilities of a personal injury lawyer is to calculate fair compensation for a victim. This amount depends on both economic and non-economic aspects.
Economic compensation typically includes medical bills resulting from the injury and the cost of physical therapy and other treatments required for recovery. This type of compensation also consists of the loss of wages or income if you cannot return to work or function the same way as before the accident. If the incident damages your property or vehicle, the costs of repairs are also considered economic in nature.
Non-economic compensation is difficult to assess. This refers to the physical and mental pain and suffering you experience from an injury, including the trauma of losing a companion due to accidental death.
No amount of money can compensate for these types of losses. But most states have capped non-economic damages. In Idaho, this amount is $250,000.
An experienced lawyer or attorney can determine the case value depending on the incident and its long-term repercussions.
The state of Idaho has no cap on economic damages. But the state does utilize “modified comparative negligence.” This means your compensation amount is dictated by your share of fault in the incident.
For example, if the court deems that you’re 20% at fault for an accident, your compensation will be reduced by 20%. This is only applicable if you’re 49% or less at fault for the accident. 50% at fault (or more) will make you ineligible for compensation.
Given the complexity of personal injury claims and the challenges of navigating the legal system, hiring a personal injury attorney is in your best interest. If you or a loved one have been affected by a personal injury accident, give The Advocates a call.
