How will the Covid-19 Affect My Personal Injury Case?

With LawyersBay, we’ve adopted a proactive approach to serving our present and future clients by offering ongoing legal assistance. We have been ready for an event like this for three weeks, and we believe that we can continue to serve you with integrity.

What is the status of the Coronavirus situation in New York?

Beginning on March 18th, all public schools in New York state must be shuttered for two weeks (ending on April 1st). Restaurants and bars are closed, while delivery services remain in operation. All companies that are considered “essential” – including grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, and medical facilities – are permitted to remain open until 8:00 p.m.

While Mayor De Blasio also stressed the city’s citizens should be prepared for a “shelter in place” order, which would mean that all non-essential activity should be suspended.

To help alleviate a lack of hospital capacity, the state has also requested skilled healthcare workers who have retired to come back to work temporarily.

Your case is important, and should not be put on hold

You have a lot of different concerns after being hurt in an accident. If you cannot work and must rely on your personal injury claim to pay your bills, you may be counting on it to feed your family and cover your living expenses.

It should also be noted that because to the wide spread of COVID-19, the courts have been closed across the country and especially in New York.

Is there anything you’d like to say about your case? Your case cannot advance as swiftly towards resolution as it should because cases are unable to proceed to trial. The individuals who argue in favor of these lawsuits now do not have the burden of a jury trial on them to compel them to make a settlement decision. Reducing the leverage your lawyer has to bring your matter to resolution decreases the time you’ll spend dealing with him.

What should I do if I have an ongoing personal injury matter?

The firm that is now representing you needs to take a look at itself. You can ensure that the law firm presently handling your case is able to handle the Coronavirus epidemic, and that the firm stays involved in your case while attempting to resolve it.

Firms are not obligated to continue to serve their clients the way they should, even if they have the infrastructure and resources. It’s possible that the case team isn’t organized in such a way that they can put their efforts toward continuing the case, answering clients’ inquiries, and coordinating as a team to keep the case on track.

In the present COVID-19 outbreak, which form of firm is best able to tackle the task? These law companies that are fully digital will be the best ready for the eventuality of filing a personal injury claim.

Exactly what you think it means A law firm is allowed to use technology and infrastructure they have previously invested in (e.g. remote computer access and other vital operations) while the courts are closed. Our firms continue to withstand the Coronavirus epidemic with state-of-the-art technologies.

Do not lose your competitive edge. Arbitrations and mediations are still important in today’s legal system. These hearings are outside of the courtroom, typically with the assistance of a retired judge or lawyer, where you can meet with the opposing parties to try to reach a settlement.

As long as there are no internet or workplace shut-downs because of the Coronavirus, arbitration and mediation can be done in private offices or even done remotely via video conferencing.

In order to ensure that the discovery process is kept going, there are additional important factors to take into consideration. A firm that has complete electronic records can keep on submitting evidence, exchanging discovery materials, and requesting relief in court. Paperwork nevertheless continues to be accepted in the New York courts through the use of an e-filing system. With the right setup, law firms can continue to work on your case until it is resolved.

In a personal injury case, depositions are an important stage as well. You can conduct depositions through Skype, Google Hangout, or other video conferencing while conforming to federal and state rules on social distance.

What should I do if my current law firm cannot represent me remotely?

Think very carefully about the law firm that is currently working on your case. A smaller or older firm that cannot withstand the Coronavirus should speak with another law firm.

Your case will not be disadvantaged because your law company has not been prepared to deal with this kind of outbreak.

Now is the ideal time to make a career change. However, if you were to switch to different law firms, you would still pay the same legal expenses. Your attorney’s fee agreement in the State of New York is one-third of the recovery. Your previous law firm will get a percentage of the one-third fee you agreed to if you switch firms. The rest of your law firm will be transferred to your new company. In other words, moving law firms will not cost you any additional money.

You should seek legal representation now to be sure you have the correct firm. It is never too early to make sure you have the best representation around. Would you like to learn more about how to switch to a different attorney? Our in-depth article may be found here.

LawyersBay is prepared to handle your case, regardless of the situation

At LawyersBay, we realize how hard it may be to handle this unprecedented pandemic if you’re involved in a personal injury lawsuit. We are dedicated to provide excellent legal services as always, and we are inviting those who have previously hired another law company to change to us.

COVID-19 continues to interrupt daily activities across the country and our city and state. To help protect our personnel and our clients, we’re following best practices with COVID-19. Fortunately, we’ve already planned for delays like this, and because of that we are well-positioned to deliver legal services that are completely uninterrupted.