Going through a lawsuit can be very stressful. Many times it will take a good deal of time to resolve and require a good amount of work and money from you. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't file a personal injury lawsuit if you feel you have a good case against someone; instead, it means that you need to be realistic about what a lawsuit will entail and what it will require from you. Here are some things that you need to know.

1. You Will Most Likely Have To Pay A Lawyer Whether You Win Or Lose

In many TV shows and legal dramas, they portray the lawyers as working on contingency. This means that they don't take any money from the client unless they win the lawsuit. The lawyer would front all of the costs of the lawsuit and take the major risk of getting noting out of it, but doing all the work. There are not that many lawyers who actually work on contingency, and if they do, you should be prepared for them to take a good part of the winnings.

Instead, you will most likely be responsible for paying the attorney whether or not you win. The attorney will have a billable rate and they will charge you for every hour that they work on your case. In many situations, this is still worth it because the amount that you will get from the suit will outweigh the attorney's fees, but it is no guarantee. Understanding this is important since you need to be sure that you are ok paying the attorney's fees regardless of the outcome of the suit.

2. You Will Most Likely Settle Outside Of Court

Another important thing to recognize is that you will most likely settle the dispute outside of court. This is important to understand for two reasons. The first is that you should be ready to compromise. You will initially ask for a certain amount in damages knowing that when you settle you will most likely have to meet the other party halfway.

Second, it is important to be realistic about the amount of money you will get out of the lawsuit. Television may make you think that winning a personal injury lawsuit is much like winning the lottery. The amount that the plaintiff receives is a huge sum of money. This is not realistic and shouldn't be expected. Usually, the amount that you will receive will directly correlate to the amount that you can prove in damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and so forth.

By understanding these things, you can know what to expect out of your lawsuit. 

For a personal injury attorney, contact a law firm such as Randall A. Wolff & Associates, Ltd.