subject: Contending With A Personal Injury Lawsuit [print this page] Most people never expect to find themselves involved in a car accident, much less a lawsuit. When a personal injury occurs as a result of an accident, most people expect the responsible party to take care of medical bills caused as a result of the incident. Being out of work is often an unwelcomed and unexpected side effect to the injuries.
When a victim believes they are being ignored or treated unfairly by the party they deem responsible for the accident, they may decide to file a lawsuit to receive financial restitution and assistance. There are many expenses involved with personal injury cases that cannot be paid until a victim has been compensated when they Have no steady income or substantial savings set aside. Some of these are listed below.
Medical Bills
Doctors can help people get better from their injuries. They write prescriptions for medications or physical therapy and restrict patients from harmful activities and work duties. Doctors must be paid. Most will not wait until a lawsuit has concluded to receive payment for their services.
Living Expenses
Rent, mortgage, credit cards, utilities and car payments are just a few of the routine living expenses that must be paid regularly. Those that are not kept current can have serious consequences. In most cases, late fees are tacked on. When tardy payments continue, services are cut off while the bills continue to accrue fees and penalties. The only way to successfully eliminate the vicious cycle before the person's credit is damaged is to pay the bills in full.
Legal Fees
It costs money to file a personal injury lawsuit. There is no guarantee the case will be won or that the injured person's bills and expenses will be paid for by the defendant being sued. Regardless of the outcome, legal fees must be paid unless the attorney agrees to make other arrangements. Most do not work "on contingency," or get paid only if the plaintiff wins the case. Instead, they expect full payment for all work done regardless of the outcome. Other lawsuit expenses include court reporters, court fees, expert witnesses, shipping and copying costs, and release form fees.
Paying for all of these things can be a huge challenge for plaintiffs with no income or a reduced salary. There are a number of ways to cope with the payments without damaging credit.
Family and Friends
When people closest to the victim see how badly they are hurt and understand why they cannot work, they may offer to help with living expenses or even offer the injured party a place to stay until things get better.
Credit Cards
Some people live on credit. Anything that can be paid for with plastic is covered at least until the lawsuit is over. If the plaintiff has good credit, a high limit, few expenses and a short duration with limited income, living on credit cards may work. It will take a long time to pay off all bills plus interest, but it is possible.
Lawsuit Financing
Many people turn to lawsuit settlement financing to survive this difficult time. Unlike a loan, a lawsuit finance company gives the plaintiff an agreed upon amount when it seems likely or definite that the case will conclude in the plaintiff's favor or in a legal settlement, rather than a verdict. Legal funding does not have to be repaid if the plaintiff does not win the case.
Loans
Securing a loan to pay for expenses during a personal injury case is a challenge. Many banks and financial institutions will not make loans available to people without a steady income. Others are not confident enough in the potential lawsuit outcome to allow plaintiffs to receive a loan. Interest for a standard loan in considerable, and should be factored in to any monetary amount requested.
Conclusion
Personal injuries can be frustrating and debilitating at the same time. The best case scenario is that when someone is injured due to another person's negligence, the medical bills and interrupted income are covered, and the injured person can resume their life with little interruption. When this is not possible, there are several options to pay for things until the person gets back on their feet.
by: Christine Harrell
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