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How Do Attorneys in Virginia Help Injured People Receive Compensation?


— November 10, 2022

Accident victims may also be concerned about affording legal fees in addition to their medical costs.


Halifax, VA – Injured people may find themselves with a sudden need for additional funding to pay medical bills and related costs. This is true even if they have relevant insurance and have filed a claim. An accident attorney in Virginia can help ensure that the person gets as much compensation as is needed based on the specifics of their accident and losses. There are a number of different ways that lawyers assist with this process.

Filing a negligence lawsuit

Negligence is an important legal doctrine that allows injured individuals to hold the person or business responsible for their losses accountable. An attorney who practices by filing accident lawsuits will have experience drafting complaints that allege negligence, along with necessary legal arguments, and filing them in the local court system. They must show all the elements of negligence, which include a relevant duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages.

Virginia is also unique in that the state still follows the pure contributory negligence system. This means that any plaintiff who is assigned any level of fault for an accident, no matter how small, is not able to collect any damages at all. It is important for anyone who needs to bring such a case to get advice from a personal injury attorney regarding how this rule may be applied to their situation. 

Settlement negotiations

Almost all accident cases will end with a settlement agreement rather than a trial. This means that the victim’s attorneys must have skill in arguing for a sufficient amount of compensation for their clients. This should include compensation for medical bills, lost income and wages, pain and suffering, and any other applicable types of damages. If the injuries are severe or life changing, there may also be a need to project future losses when the victim will not be able to work as normal in the future or require continuing medical care.

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Contingent fee arrangements

Accident victims may also be concerned about affording legal fees in addition to their medical costs. However, personal injury firms work on a contingency fee basis. This means that the client does not have to pay for legal services up front, and their compensation is reduced by a percentage to pay the lawyers only after the case has ended successfully. If the firm does not get any compensation on the client’s behalf, then they do not owe them anything. 

Virginia accident lawyers

Trent Law Practice is a firm that works with accident victims to help them receive compensation through civil lawsuits. Their attorneys are experienced in all matters of personal injury law and settlement negotiations.

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