The City of Sherwood is a great place to call home. It is one of the safest communities in Arkansas, boasting the third-lowest crime rate in the state. However, even in this family-friendly setting, car accidents, personal injuries, and tragedies happen that leave people reeling from injuries, grieving the death of loved ones, and facing mounting financial problems.
In one recent year, a Sherwood man sustained life-changing injuries when his vehicle was rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver traveling at high speed. If you have been injured by another person’s negligent or reckless actions, you have the right to pursue financial compensation for your losses. You have the same rights if you have lost a loved one in an accident that was not his or her fault.
This post will explore why working with a Sherwood personal injury lawyer makes sense if you get hurt in Arkansas. We will see the benefits of local knowledge and how you can find legal representation to give you the best chance of recovering fair compensation.
The Advantages of Hiring a Sherwood, AR Law Firm
Each state has its own personal injury laws. To get the best legal representation, choose a law firm that works with Arkansas law every day. Personal injury lawyers understand the intricacies of the law and have experience in successfully fighting cases in the state.
A further benefit of hiring a Sherwood personal injury attorney is that he or she will genuinely care about the community. As an integral part of city life, your attorney has a reputation to defend. Fighting hard for maximum compensation for Sherwood residents makes sense to maintain the law firm’s position in the community.
In-depth understanding of Arkansas personal injury law
Sherwood personal injury lawyers are familiar with features of Arkansas law that could impact personal injury cases.
The following features could trip up a personal injury attorney who lacks strong knowledge of state laws:
- Statute of limitations: Arkansas statutes of limitations can be complicated to navigate. The Arkansas Code, Section 16-56-105, states that the statute of limitations in personal injury cases is 3 years. However, there are exceptions, including intentional torts and medical malpractice, with shorter deadlines.
- Discovery rule: To determine when the clock starts ticking on a statute of limitations, Arkansas uses the “discovery rule.” This means the statute of limitation period begins when the plaintiff discovers he or she may have a legal claim or when a reasonable person would have first known he or she had a claim.
- Damage caps: For personal injury cases that go to trial, there is no cap on the amount of damages a judge or jury can award. It will be up to them to make a judgment based on the merits of your case.
- Modified comparative negligence rule: Arkansas comparative fault laws allow accident victims who are partially liable to seek compensation. However, if the plaintiff is 50 percent or more at fault, he or she cannot pursue compensation. Additionally, the final compensation award will be reduced by the plaintiff’s percentage of liability.
- Product liability law: Arkansas product liability laws have a broad application. They can hold manufacturers, distributors, and vendors liable for injuries caused by defective products. However, you need to work with skilled lawyers who understand what constitutes a defective product in Arkansas to determine whether you have a strong case for compensation.
An experienced attorney in Sherwood, AR, is well-placed to guide you through the maze of laws that are unique to Arkansas. You can benefit from your attorney’s experience of fighting and winning similar cases as he or she fights for maximum compensation on your behalf.
Arkansas trial experience
Experience in fighting and winning similar personal injury cases in court could give a Sherwood, AR, personal injury lawyer an advantage. He or she can draw on knowledge of legal arguments that have worked well in the past.
Trial lawyers also bring a different set of skills to the table, including:
- Storytelling: The ability to help the jury to visualize the accident and its impact on life
- Focus: Days in court require your personal injury lawyer to focus and be prepared to pivot in response to attacks from the defendant’s legal team
- Passion: Your personal injury attorney needs to represent you with conviction; what’s more, an experienced attorney will prepare well, knowing your damages and his or her reputation are on the line
How can you tell if a personal injury lawyer has what it takes to represent you in court? Ask about his or her trial record. Successful attorneys are happy to share details of their court victories.
Also, visit the law firm’s website and check its case results page. On our website, on the page “verdicts & settlements,” you can see successful cases that went to court, as well as settlements that were settled out of court.
Convenient location
Phone calls and videoconferencing allow us to communicate easily with people in other places. However, if we need to talk about something sensitive, such as a car accident case or the emotional distress suffered after a personal injury, many of us prefer to talk in person.
When you choose a Sherwood, AR, law firm, you can easily schedule an in-person consultation to discuss your accident. In a relaxed setting, you can explain what happened to you and how it has impacted your life. Compassionate personal injury lawyers will give you the time you need to talk things through.
Other advantages of in-person conversations that could benefit a Sherwood personal injury lawsuit include:
- Fewer misunderstandings
- Stronger attorney-client relationship
- Better concentration and cooperation
If you work with a Sherwood law firm, you can stop by regularly for case updates. It can be reassuring to know that your personal injury attorney is just a short car ride away.
Strong local network
A personal injury lawyer may collaborate with other local professionals to build a strong case that is more likely to yield fair compensation. When you choose a Sherwood, AR, personal injury attorney, you can immediately benefit from the local network the law firm has already built up.
This network may include:
- Medical expert witnesses: Experienced medical professionals can analyze your medical records and testify to the long-term impact of your injuries. They may be able to explain the treatments, medications, and caregiver support you are likely to need in the future. Expert witness testimony may be crucial in cases involving serious injuries. Sherwood personal injury lawyers will have connections with expert witnesses who are familiar with local state laws.
- Financial expert witnesses: To seek compensation that meets your actual needs, an experienced attorney may reach out to a financial expert. He or she can review your medical expenses, lost wages, and how your injuries have affected your ability to provide for yourself and your family. Expert witness testimony could strengthen your case as your personal injury lawyer fights the insurance company for maximum compensation.
- Accident reconstruction specialists: In complex car accident cases, it can be hard to determine fault without the assistance of accident reconstruction specialists. They can use witness statements, police reports, weather conditions, video footage, and other evidence to reconstruct the accident scene and prove fault.
Cases Sherwood Personal Injury Attorneys Handle
Personal injury law covers a wide range of scenarios, and Sherwood injury lawyers take them all on, including:
- Auto accidents: Motor vehicle accidents include car, motorcycle, and truck accidents, which can result in huge losses, including medical expenses and lost wages, for which a car accident lawyer could fight for compensation
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents: Serious injuries can happen on foot and on bicycles when you have little to no protection
- Premises liability: After a slip-and-fall, a fall from significant height, and other accidents that occur on other people’s premises, you need legal representation to fight for fair compensation
- Product liability: Failures at the design, manufacturing, or distribution stage can lead to serious injuries for which you need legal support
How Sherwood Personal Injury Lawyers Build Strong Cases
At your initial consultation, a Sherwood, AR, personal injury attorney will listen carefully as you talk about your accident. Expect the attorney to ask some probing questions as he or she seeks to understand who may be at fault. At the consultation, the lawyer will advise you on how likely your case is to succeed.
If the law firm agrees to take on your case, the personal injury lawyers will follow this legal process to pursue compensation on your behalf.
Investigate your case
In a personal injury lawsuit, an attorney must prove the following points:
- Duty of care: The responsible party had a duty of care toward you
- Breach: Negligent, reckless, or intentional actions constituted a breach of the duty of care
- Causation: The breach was the direct cause of your bodily injury, property damage, emotional distress, or other losses
- Compensation: You are entitled to fair compensation to restore what you lost
In most cases, the at-fault driver or negligent party does not admit fault. Car accident lawyers and other attorneys need to investigate your case to prove the other involved parties had a duty of care that they breached, which was the direct cause of your injuries.
In a vehicle accident, this may mean gathering evidence from sources such as police reports, witness statements, cell phone records, and video footage. In complex cases, like when there are multiple parties involved or very serious injuries, accident reconstruction specialists may be called in to help determine fault.
Calculate a fair settlement
An experienced attorney will gather evidence to prove your economic and non-economic damages. Economic losses are your out-of-pocket expenses, such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
For example, after a car wreck, car accident attorneys may pursue compensation to reimburse you for hospital bills, medication, physical therapy, and other treatments related to your accident.
Your lawyer can look at how much money you lost due to time off work and lost business opportunities. If you suffered severe injuries that affect your ability to work in the future, your attorney will calculate these losses and fight for fair compensation to match these.
Non-economic losses may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of quality of life
Fight for fair compensation
Insurance adjusters are battle-hardened professionals who seek to protect their employers’ profits each day by offering low-ball settlements. However, an experienced Sherwood car accident attorney can play hardball and stand firm against these tactics in negotiations. If these fail to produce a fair settlement, he or she may take your case to court.
If your case goes to court, a judge or jury will make the final decision on liability and damages. In some cases, the court may also award punitive damages to deter the defendant and others from similar wrong actions in the future.
Sherwood Personal Injury Lawyers With a Unique Advantage
In your hour of need, it is vital to choose a local law firm that truly cares about the people of Sherwood and the wider Pulaski County. So when you need the support of personal injury lawyers with a proven track record of fighting aggressively for accident victims, come talk to the Sherwood offices of Minton Law Firm.
In addition to extensive local knowledge, our law firm brings something special to the table. We are headed up by Justin Minton, a personal injury attorney who is a former insurance adjuster. This gives us unparalleled insight into how insurance companies operate. We can use our knowledge of insurance adjuster tactics to fight for a fair settlement that could be 2-3 times higher than if you go it alone.
Minton Law Firm is here to level the playing field, maximizing your chances of achieving the compensation you deserve. So call 855-Xadjuster for a free consultation, or complete our contact form, and we will get back to you soon.
We are proud to provide legal support to residents of Little Rock – Pulaski County – Arkansas, Benton – Saline County – Arkansas, Conway – Faulkner County – Arkansas.
