The legal system provides a great deal of support for any defendant. Thus, it is not easy to create a case against a property owner, if you have been injured on that owner’s piece of property.
The first and most important step
Seek medical attention as soon as possible. You will need to produce proof of the time and cause of the incident, as well as the extent of the resulting damages.
Additional steps
Take pictures of your injury and of the site where you got hurt. Save any damaged clothing. If you got hurt as the result of a slip and fall incident, save the pair of shoes that was worn on the day of that same incident. Save all the medical records and doctors’ bills.
If you have not retained an injury lawyer in Los Banos, then you must learn the statute of limitations for your state. That information provides you with the deadline for filing a lawsuit. Mark that date on your calendar. If you do not have a calendar, buy one.
Once you have that calendar, put it somewhere that allows you to see it every day. If you were to miss the deadline, you would be unable to pursue further the case against the owner of the property, where you got injured. Contact the property owner, or the business owner.
Using the collected medical bills, calculate your losses. Do not forget to include the amount of money that you lost, when you could not go to work. That calculated amount allows you to determine the minimum amount of money that you should agree to accept.
When your injuries reach the stage of maximum medical improvement, then you can start negotiating with the property owner’s insurance company. If the negotiations do not lead to an agreement, then it might become necessary for you to file a lawsuit.
Does filing a lawsuit mean that you must plan for a trial?
No, the 2 disputing sides can settle at any time, even after one side has filed a lawsuit. The filing of a lawsuit could pressure the opposing side to settle.
What else might push the other side to settle? If the plaintiff has a great deal of evidence to present during the discovery session, then that, too, could push the defense team to agree to a settlement. Even if a trial does get started, that does not mean that you must let a jury decide the fate of both parties. If either side makes a motion during the trial, both lawyers could meet in the judge’s chambers. That meeting could open the door to renewed negotiations. Once renewed, the negotiations could lead to a settlement. That could be the ideal outcome.