Stabilize and document
Immediate health and safety needs come first. The early practical work is to preserve reliable records, identify the people and organizations involved, and avoid guessing about facts you do not know.
- Medical care and provider instructions
- Incident reports and photographs
- Insurance and employer notices
Evaluate the route
A lawyer may examine responsibility, available insurance, damages, deadlines, and where a claim could be brought. This stage can also reveal a special notice rule or another party that needs investigation.
- Applicable jurisdiction and deadline questions
- Potentially responsible parties
- Available records and missing information
Claim and negotiation
A claim may involve exchanging supporting records and discussing responsibility and loss with an insurer or other party. A proposed settlement should be read as a final legal document, not simply as a dollar figure.
- What the release covers
- How fees, expenses, and liens would be handled
- Whether future losses have been evaluated
Lawsuit, resolution, or trial
If a civil lawsuit is filed, pleadings, discovery, motions, mediation, and trial may follow. The order and terminology vary by court. Many civil disputes resolve before trial, but no outcome should be assumed.
- Complaint and response
- Document exchange and testimony in discovery
- Settlement discussions, rulings, or trial