One of the more trying times in life may involve being in a legal dispute. This frequently happens if you’ve been injured due to the fault of another individual. There are many things that may occur during this process and knowing what you can expect as the plaintiff in a lawsuit is always important. Taking the time to be prepared for this situation can be helpful in alleviating a lot of stress.
1. Consulting with a law firm
One of the first things you will want to do if you’ve been injured is to seek legal assistance. This will allow you to work towards building the strongest possible case.
Civil litigation is a complicated matter and will require the expertise of a Colorado law practice to assist you during this unfortunate time. This is the key to ensuring the right paperwork is filed within the scheduled amount of time.
All of the necessary steps to have legal success is sure to depend on the attorney you choose to help you with this process. Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll want to avoid passing the statute of limitations on your case. This will ensure a timely settlement, should you win the case.
2. Awaiting a response
It will be necessary for the defendant to receive the complaint from you and a response must be provided before you can move forward with the case. This will allow this individual to either admit or deny the allegations that have been made.
The Legal Information Institute states an answer should be given within 21 days after receiving the summons. Once this has been done, you can move forward with your case.
3. Gathering evidence
One thing you will want to do is to gather all of the documentation you’ll need for the strongest possible case. This will ensure the best results and the possibility of recovering your losses from the defendant.
Listed below are documents you will want to have in place:
* Medical receipts – It may have cost a great deal of money for you to get better once you’ve been injured. Be certain to keep all of your medical receipts and provide these to your attorney.
* Proof of property damage – If your injury was the result of an auto accident, you will want to recoup the necessary funds to fix your car or replace it if you need to do so.
* Lost income – Missing time from work can be challenging. Provide proof of your lost wages to your attorney. Working to get this money back will allow you to keep your monthly bills paid.
4. Entering the discovery stage
One of the most critical times for any plaintiff is the discovery stage of civil litigation. This is the time you should be prepared for if you wish to have success with your case.
Below are the various parts of this process.
* Written interrogatories – This will consist of answering some inquiries you may receive about your case.
* Request for admissions statements – Answering some statements about whether you agree with these or not is necessary.
* The deposition – You may need to meet with the other party’s attorney and answer a series of questions.
* Proof of documentation – Providing the right documentation to prove your case should be done at this time.
Working to get past the challenges of suffering an injury can be extremely hard for you. It’s important for you to pursue legal action if you have a strong case. This may be the most efficient way for you to get the results you want and move on with your life!
FYI: A settlement happens instead of “winning” or “losing”; it is a negotiated outcome. The overwhelming majority of cases are settled, not tried. Also, Answers to not have to be received before a case can proceed. If a party chooses not to answer, the plaintiff can take a “default judgment”, at which point the plaintiff goes to court to prove damages only, or otherwise ask for relief. This is the typical way of dealing with an uncontested divorce. I sue you; you don’t answer, I go to court and ask for a divorce. Since no one is there to object, divorce granted. If you owe me money and I sue, if you don’t answer, a judgment is granted and then I can try to enforce it–basically a forclosure. In a PI case, if I hurt you and I don’t have insurance, I let you get a default judgment, and you can try to collect (not likely if a person doesn’t have insurance)
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