A complaint is the first step in a personal injury lawsuit. It tells the judge and the defendant what you’re alleging, why you should be held liable for those injuries, and what kind of compensation (damages) your injury lawyer in Bradford wants for you. In addition to telling your story, your complaint also helps determine how much time it will take to resolve this case—and whether it needs to go before a jury or not.
What Does a Complaint Look Like?
A complaint is a formal legal document that you file with the court. It contains the following sections:
● Jurisdictional issues (the types of cases that can be filed in your state).
● Factual allegations (what you’re claiming happened).
● Legal allegations (your legal claim against the defendant)
Jurisdictional Issues
The issue of jurisdiction is one of the most important, and it should be addressed as soon as possible. Jurisdiction refers to which court or district has the power to hear your case. This is important because different courts have different rules that they apply in cases like yours—and if you don’t know which court will decide your case, you won’t be able to prepare for it properly.
Factual Allegations
In your complaint, you should describe the injuries and losses suffered by you in detail. You should also include any other relevant facts that support your claim.
You may be able to prove that the defendant was negligent or at fault for causing your injuries by showing:
● A chain of events leading up to the accident or incident.
● How this chain led to your damages.
● That someone else could have prevented these events from happening if they had acted differently.
Legal Allegations
A legal complaint is a written statement that contains allegations of wrongdoing, which must be proven to be true in court. The elements of a claim are common to all types of lawsuits.
Complainant – the person bringing the lawsuit (the plaintiff).
Defendant – someone accused of wrongdoing or who has been sued for damages by another party (the defendant).
Cause of Action – The specific legal theory upon which your case is based; this can include negligence, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress or other theories related to personal injury law.
What Comes Next?
If you’ve been injured in an accident, it’s important to know that you have rights and that those rights aren’t just for the person who caused your injury. You can file a personal injury lawsuit against them if they are at fault for causing or contributing to your injuries. For example, if you were hit by another vehicle while walking across the street and suffered serious head injuries as a result of being hit by another vehicle (which happened to be driven by someone driving under the influence), then this would be considered an “at-fault” accident and therefore subject to liability claims against them under state law.
If your case goes through trial and wins with damages awarded at trial, then there will be additional costs associated with getting these funds paid out—but those costs aren’t necessarily insurmountable!
Conclusion
Getting a complaint is the first step in a personal injury case. It’s important not only because the complaint tells you what type of injuries you may have suffered, but also because it gives you an opportunity to tell your story. If necessary, you can also file an answer to the complaint and provide evidence that will help defend against these allegations or prove why they are not valid.
