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What Happens in Your Personal Injury Claim After a Compensation Settlement?

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Filing a personal injury claim with a trusted attorney is the first step to receiving compensation after an accident. As the legal case is being pursued, moving forward from there can be confusing if you don’t know what to do. Having a legal professional by your side will also increase your chances of winning the case. Read on to understand the process of a personal injury claim and what to expect after the settlement.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury claim is a legal case filed by an individual, known as the plaintiff, who’s been injured as the result of someone else’s negligence, known as the defendant. This type of lawsuit is frequently filed by car accident victims when the accident has left them with injuries that negatively affect their quality of life physically and financially.

If this is your situation, then it’s advised that you contact an attorney to file your personal injury claim to seek compensation from the at-fault party. They’ll guide you on the entire legal procedure and how to get started on your case. Once your claim has been filed and your lawyer has met with the defendant, both parties can agree on the next steps.

Role of Insurers in a Settlement

How you were injured and whose fault it is plays a major role in what your settlement will be. Most often, the defendant is likely to be covered by an insurance policy. This coverage is most often used for injuries sustained by medical negligence or a workplace known as an occupational injury. For this reason, the personal injury reimbursement will be paid for by the defendant or the companies’ insurance provider.

Insurers of the person who injured you will also determine the compensation amount. They usually do this by adding up the cost of damages and multiplying it between one and five times the amount. The payout amount is then offered to you and your attorney to accept or negotiate. This is the crucial stage for insurance providers because they’re more willing to provide compensation and settle before the case can be taken to court.

Post-Settlement

What happens after depends on where in the legal process the claim ends. If the claim has been settled, then you’ll be asked to sign a few official documents that mark the end of the claim’s proceedings.

The documents needed to sign are frequently a settlement agreement. This is a type of contract that states the amount of money paid to you and the payment plan of the agreement. It also acknowledges that you accept the terms of your settlement and that the legal proceedings are over.

Take note that once you’ve signed this contract, it means everything is finalized and your claim is dismissed. After this, no more changes can be made, not even by your lawyer, so be sure to read through carefully and make sure all the information is correct.

The other type of document that could be presented to you is a liability waiver or liability release form. This is used especially by businesses after the payout of an occupational injury.

The liability waiver is essentially an acknowledgment releasing the defendant from the claims that you had brought against them. This is to ensure they can’t get sued for the same injury or for any future injuries that could happen by their fault. Signing this form is optional on your part and should only be signed after consulting your lawyer for advice. Your lawyer will then give all the relevant parties a copy of the contracts.

Endnote

What happens after your personal injury claim once you’ve been compensated is a matter of ending the legal process with official documents. These documents act as proof that the claim has been settled and that all parties agree to the terms of the contract.

On some occasions, particularly within a workplace injury claim, you may be approached to sign a waiver recognizing that you’re freeing the company from your claims and therefore can’t bring the same claims to them in the future. This type of contract is still fully your choice to sign or reject.

Throughout each step of the claim, it’s a wise decision to keep consulting your lawyer for advice on what to do, including after the settlement, to confirm and understand that the agreements are fair and work in your favor. If you’re not sure of anything, always seek an expert opinion. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you plan and prepare for your claim.

Jenny is one of the oldest contributors of Bigtime Daily with a unique perspective of the world events. She aims to empower the readers with delivery of apt factual analysis of various news pieces from around the World.

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Empowering Minority Women to Pursue Leadership in Business and Law

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There is a familiar saying that a “rising tide lifts all boats,” and there are professionals among us who truly take that concept to heart. Attorney Leah Wise is one of them. From an early age, Wise knew that whatever she wanted to do in life as a career, helping people had to be a primary motivation. 

On her way up as founder of the first Latina-owned law firm in South Texas dedicated 100% to personal injury law, Wise acknowledges that she stood on the shoulders of some great mentors. Now, she is paying it forward through a series of initiatives and programs dedicated to helping minority women pursue their dreams. 

A love for law and justice

While working for a state senator prior to law school, Wise developed a deep love for making a difference in people’s lives. “I learned that one person can truly have an impact on the world,” she recalls. This lesson led her to pursue law as a career, and she soon found herself in the position of a trailblazer as a woman and a Latina. 

Unlike most young upstart lawyers who battle it out for positions at established firms after law school, Wise knew she wanted to set out on her own immediately. She started her own personal injury firm right out of law school and got to work making a name for herself in the Texas law community, an act of rebellion that flew in the face of norms within the law field and stood as a testament to the Wise’s resilience. It’s an approach Wise hopes to help other minority women embrace — go after what you want, no matter what stands in your way.

Giving back 

Wise has not stopped wanting to help others since the days of working in the senator’s office. She has made a point to make philanthropy a significant part of her brand, focusing on building the confidence and careers of minority women, especially Latinas. 

Wise created a non-profit organization called the Wise Women Foundation to address all of the ways she wanted to empower and inspire women seeking careers, especially those looking to make their mark in male-centered fields like Wise. The Wise Women Foundation helps empower minority women through education, mentorships, and resources that can often be scarce in minority communities. 

“The foundation is about offering women options,” says Wise. Through the various resources provided by the Wise Women Foundation, women can better reach their full potential and overcome obstacles that are often placed in the way of minority women. 

Part of Wise’s main focus through the Wise Women Foundation is helping women start their own businesses — as she did — especially within the legal industry. A serial entrepreneur herself, Wise knows the value of steering one’s own ship. 

Wise has other beneficial initiatives as well, including the Leah Wise Latina Student Hardship Fund at her alma mater, St. Mary’s University School of Law, which offers $50,000 to the law school to aid Latina law students. She also hosts a CrashGal Mentorship Group for aspiring Latina lawyers and has raised funds for Teach for America, the Family Crisis Center of the Rio Grande Valley, and toward distributing tampons and pads in low-income schools in the Rio Grande Valley. 

Using social connection to inspire others

Since starting her law firm, Wise has known the value of social media. As one of Texas’s first personal injury lawyers to truly take advantage of social media marketing, she knows how powerful social connections can be. As the co-founder of the social media segment “Latina Feature Friday” and the host of “Coffee With CrashGal,” Wise highlights minority-owned businesses and gives advice in a relatable and authentic way. 

“The business world is so competitive,” Wise shares. “Everything I do is in an attempt to lift people up and encourage them.” 

Changing the business landscape 

Through every philanthropic project Wise takes on, Wise is helping change the business landscape for minority women. She has shown the value of being a multifaceted entrepreneur not only through her philanthropic works and her law firm but also through her other ventures, such as CrashGal Couture and her real estate business. 

Recently, Wise purchased a building to house her empire — and made a statement about the strength and resilience of women in the process. The building was a former strip club, and Wise is dedicated to turning it into a safe space for building dreams, serving clients who are going through difficult moments, and empowering minority women in business. 

Wise knows that with a helping hand, minority women can do extraordinary things — in business and in life. Whether it’s helping her clients get justice during a personal injury case or helping disadvantaged college students access money toward a law degree, Wise is making an indelible mark on her community.

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