Understanding the Criminal and Civil Justice Systems

If you have a property damage claim as well as a personal injury or death claim, each of these can be settled independent of the other. If you have agreed to a settlement of the property damage claim only and are reserving your personal injury or wrongful death claim, make sure the settlement agreement is limited to the property damage claim only. If you have any doubts, paying an attorney to review and explain the documents is a wise investment. If you decide to hire a civil attorney, he will handle all insurance issues. You will no longer have to speak with the defendant’s insurance adjuster or with yours. The attorney’s investigators will collect evidence, interview witnesses and gather information from the time he is retained, even though the civil case may not be filed for some time. Hiring a Civil Attorney You may feel unable to look for an attorney because of your injuries or because you are so depleted of energy due to grief or post-traumatic stress. Coping with anything else seems almost impossible. Consider asking a trusted friend to help with the preliminary work; sharing this brochure

Be sure to do your homework

is a good way to begin. Ultimately, however, you will

before hiring an attorney.

need to interview the final candidates and make a decision. You

will be working with your attorney over a long period of time, and it is important that you feel comfortable with them. You would most likely want an attorney who specializes in personal injury and

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