What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do After You Hire Them?
The insurance adjuster has stopped calling since you hired a personal injury lawyer. Your medical appointments haven’t stopped, though, and new bills keep arriving. From your side, it may seem like the claim has gone quiet.
After signing a representation agreement, your attorney begins work that doesn’t always produce an immediate update. Some tasks need attention within days, while other decisions depend on how your treatment progresses.
Here are eight things a personal injury lawyer does after you hire them, including the work happening before a settlement offer arrives.
1. Investigates What Happened and Preserves Evidence
Your account provides a starting point, but an accident report may leave important questions unanswered. After a crash outside a shopping center, for example, officers may record both drivers’ statements without knowing who entered the intersection first.
Your attorney may seek footage from nearby businesses before it’s erased and speak with witnesses who saw the collision. Depending on the case, they may also bring in an expert to explain how the accident happened.
This work helps establish what occurred using evidence that can support your claim, rather than relying entirely on the insurance company’s version of events.
2. Determines Who May Be Responsible and What Coverage Is Available
The person directly involved in an accident isn’t always the only one who may be legally responsible. Your lawyer investigates the circumstances to identify possible defendants and the insurance coverage available for the claim.
After a collision with a commercial vehicle, for example, an attorney may need to determine whether the driver was working at the time and whether an employer could share responsibility. Those findings can affect which parties should be included in the claim.
Reviewing the applicable policies also helps your attorney understand the potential sources and limits of insurance coverage before negotiating.
3. Handles Insurance Company Communications
Once you are represented, your lawyer typically notifies the other party’s insurer and becomes the main contact for discussions about your claim.
That becomes especially useful when an adjuster disputes what happened or argues that your injuries existed before the accident. Your attorney can examine the insurer’s position, respond with records, and challenge conclusions the evidence doesn’t support.
An insurance company’s decision to deny a claim is not necessarily the end of the claim. Your lawyer can explain the grounds for the denial and determine how to respond.
4. Documents the Full Impact of Your Injuries
Medical bills show what treatment has cost so far, but they don’t always reflect how an injury has affected someone’s ability to work or whether future care will be needed.
Suppose a shoulder injury prevents someone from returning to a physically demanding job. The claim may require wage records along with medical evidence explaining whether the person will regain full use of that shoulder. The attorney also considers how lasting limitations may affect the person’s daily life.
Your lawyer gathers the documentation needed to evaluate the potential value of a personal injury settlement, including losses that may continue after the initial treatment. That evaluation gives the attorney a basis for the compensation requested.
5. Protects Deadlines and Prepares Legal Action if Needed
Even while the insurer considers a settlement, the time allowed to file a lawsuit continues to run. Under Idaho Code § 5-219, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. Claims involving government entities may have much earlier notice requirements.
Your attorney identifies the deadlines that apply and handles the necessary filings. An ongoing insurance negotiation does not, by itself, stop the filing clock.
If a lawsuit becomes necessary, your lawyer prepares court documents and manages the exchange of evidence. These are part of how a personal injury case progresses through litigation.
6. Evaluates Settlement Offers and Negotiates on Your Behalf
When an insurer offers a settlement, your attorney compares the amount with the losses supported by the evidence. They also consider whether outstanding treatment or unresolved questions could change the claim’s value.
Negotiation may involve a written demand and further responses when the insurer challenges part of the claim. Jane Gordon began her legal career defending insurance companies, experience that informs how she evaluates their arguments and approaches settlement discussions.
There are important reasons to be cautious about accepting an early insurance offer. Under Idaho’s Rules of Professional Conduct, the decision to accept or reject a settlement remains yours. Your attorney advises you, but cannot make that decision for you.
7. Keeps Working When Your Case Seems to Be Moving Slowly
A period without a new offer or court date can be frustrating, particularly when bills are still arriving. Some important casework happens between major developments.
For example, your attorney may need a specialist’s report before assessing the long-term effects of an injury. While waiting for those records, they may follow up with the medical office and continue addressing requests from the insurer. Sometimes the next meaningful step depends on receiving information from someone outside the law firm.
You should still know where your case stands. Idaho’s professional conduct rules require attorneys to keep clients reasonably informed and respond to reasonable requests for information. If you haven’t heard anything, it’s appropriate to ask what your case is waiting on.
8. Reviews the Final Settlement and Addresses Outstanding Claims
Agreeing on a settlement amount doesn’t necessarily mean the work is finished. Your attorney reviews the release and determines whether medical providers or health insurers have valid claims for reimbursement from the proceeds.
The attorney also accounts for legal fees and case expenses so you understand what you will receive after applicable deductions. Where appropriate, they may negotiate reimbursement demands before distributing the funds.
Understanding how personal injury settlement funds are paid out can help prevent surprises once the claim is resolved.
What to Expect from Your Idaho Personal Injury Attorney
Much of the legal work in an injury claim happens before there is a settlement offer to consider. Your attorney should be able to explain what they are working on and help you understand the decisions that arise along the way.
If you’ve been injured in Idaho and want to understand what hiring a lawyer could involve, contact Jane Gordon Law for a free case review. You don’t have to know who was legally responsible or how much your claim may be worth before reaching out.