A personal injury attorney is a legal professional who represents a person who has sustained injuries as a result of negligence on the part of another. A Waukegan personal injury attorney deals with civil law which in the US is the tort law system; this is unlike a criminal attorney or prosecutor that deals with criminal actions.
Civil law or tort law gives an injured person the right to sue if he or she feels that an injury they sustained was caused by a negligent or intentional act, the objective is to return the injured plaintiff to the position he or she was in prior to being injured. This allows the plaintiff that sustained the injury to sue for reimbursement of medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, etc as well as for pain and suffering. If it is felt by the court that the person who caused the injury should be punished then the court can also award the plaintiff punitive damages.
If a person does sustain injury and he or she feels that the cause was negligence or that the injury was caused intentionally then they must hire a Waukegan personal injury attorney. On behalf of the client, the attorney will file all the necessary documents with the court which institutes the legal action. The plaintiff and the defendant will either settle the matter out of court which happens frequently or if this cannot be done, the matter will proceed to court where it will be settled by judge and jury.
A personal injury attorney is responsible for assisting the client, proving the issues which are at the heart of the action, this can either be intentional or a matter of a negligent action. A victim of an action has the right to sue the person or entity that is responsible for an injury caused by irresponsible behavior or caused harmed intentionally.
In many cases the attorney works on a contingency fee basis rather than a fixed fee. When the Waukegan personal injury attorney accepts a case based on this fee arrangement, he or she only gets a fee should the client be successful in winning the action. The typical arrangement is for the attorney to be paid an agreed upon percentage of the ultimate settlement or award.
Personal injury covers a host of different actions; the attorney may be hired to represent a person who sustained injury in a vehicle accident, medical malpractice or a slip and fall injury.
If you sustained injury as a result of negligence on the part of another or an intentional act you have a right to sue for damages. If you need a Waukegan personal injury attorney then visit Shea Law Group for more details.
