When you find the right lawyer, you will sign a contract formally retaining start your the case, your lawyer will obtain your medical records, doctors’ notes and medical test results, along with a copy of any accident report and any insurance information or statements the insurer might have recorded. If necessary, the lawyer might also retain a private investigator to find important but elusive information about your case. All of this case development takes time. At our firm, we have found that clients really appreciate being kept informed, whether or not we have anything significant to report. For that reason, we update clients regularly about the status of their cases.

In this first stage, your lawyer is working to understand the facts and the strength of your case. After the case is developed, your lawyer can begin negotiating with the other side to get you the best possible compensation under the laws of your state and the facts of your individual case. You may end up settling the case outside of court or participating in a full trial. You will learn more about this process, the stages of a lawsuit and your own responsibilities in Chapters Four through Seven.