Discovery Methods Used in Litigation in California – Part 1 of 2

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Discovery makes or breaks litigation. Knowing how discovery tools work enables a litigant to get the most out of their case. Requests for admission and depositions in California are the topic of this article. This article is the first in a two part series that will discuss the various discovery methods utilized in litigation in California. The information in this article only applies to unlimited civil cases in which the amount demanded is more than $25,000.

Requests for admission:

Requests for admission are written requests that are served on the opposing party. Requests for admission can request that the opposing party admit or deny certain pertinent facts, and/or admit or deny that certain documents attached to the requests for admission are genuine.

The purpose of requests for admission is to reduce the number of issues that will have to be tried or to establish whether or not certain documents such as a contract are genuine. For example requests for admission may be served on the opposing party requesting, among other things, that they admit that they signed a specific document on a certain date and that a copy of the document which is attached is a genuine copy of the document that they signed.D

The law in California states that a defendant may propound requests for admission at any time, however a plaintiff may not do so until at least ten (10) days have passed since service of the summons on the defendant, or the general appearance by the defendant, whichever occurs first. See Code of Civil Procedure § 2033.020.

The rules governing requests for admission are found in Code of Civil Procedure § 2033.010, et seq.

California law imposes a numerical limit of thirty five (35) on the number of requests for admission as to the truth of facts. However if a supporting declaration stating that any additional requests for admission are warranted due to the complexity of the case and other certain factors is attached, then any party may propound additional requests for admission. See Code of Civil Procedure §§ 2033.030 and 2033.040.

There is no numerical limit on requests for admission of the genuineness of documents except as justice requires to protect the responding party from unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden and expense. See Code of Civil Procedure §§ 2033.030 and 2033.050.

California law also imposes certain format restrictions on requests for admission. No request for admission may contain subparts, or a compound, conjunctive or disjunctive question. See Code of Civil Procedure § 2033.060. This means that a request for admission cannot contain part a, b, c, etc., nor can it contain a question with more than one part, and it cannot contain the word “and” which is conjunctive, it also cannot contain the word “or” which is disjunctive.

Although many requests for admission do violate these format rules any party using such a format runs the risk of the responding party objecting on those grounds.

Requests for admission have an important advantage in that a party may not amend or withdraw their response to any request for admission without requesting leave of court to amend or withdraw their admission. See Code of Civil Procedure § 2033.300. This is in contrast to responses to interrogatories and requests for production of documents which in most cases may be amended or supplemented without requesting permission from the court.

An experienced litigation attorney can analyze the fact pattern of your particular case and draft requests for admission specifically designed for your case.

Depositions:

The purpose of a deposition is to request that the opposing party or any other individual or company be questioned under oath, typically in an attorney’s office regarding all matters that are relevant to any of the issues involved in that particular lawsuit. The party being deposed can also be requested to produce specified documents at the deposition as well. During the deposition a certified shorthand reporter creates a verbatim record of everything that is said during the deposition. The deposition can also be videotaped as well.

When an entity such as a corporation is deposed they are required to designate the person most knowledgeable regarding certain facts that must be specified in the deposition notice.

The law in California states that a defendant may serve a deposition notice without leave of court at any time after that defendant has been served, or has appeared in the action, whichever occurs first. The plaintiff may serve a deposition notice without leave of court on any date that is 20 days after the service of the summons on, or appearance by, any defendant. On motion with or without notice, the court, for good cause shown, may grant to a plaintiff leave to serve a deposition notice on an earlier date. See Code of Civil Procedure § 2025.210.

Depending on the situation a deposition may be scheduled fairly early in the case, or may not be scheduled until later in the case, after discovery has been served and responded to. This is particularly true when taking the deposition of the opposing party as they can then be questioned under oath regarding their discovery responses.

A major disadvantage of depositions is the cost. The party taking the deposition must pay for the services of the certified shorthand reporter, the hourly rate for their attorney and in some cases may have to pay to rent the conference room where the deposition will be held. However depositions can also be very useful if used correctly. This is where retaining an experienced litigation attorney will pay dividends as they can determine whether taking depositions would be cost effective in your case.

Link to Part 2 of this article.

Thank you for reading. I hope I could have been educational as I endeavor to provide my knowledge as a free public service. Please note that all the materials and information on this web site are general analyses made available for the public’s general informational purposes only. These analyses are not in any way intended to serve as specific legal advice to be applied in your particular situation. Although I am an attorney, absent a signed retention and engagement letter, I am not your attorney. There are no exceptions to this rule. Moreover, you shall not rely on the information I am providing you, as it is only for your general knowledge and educational purposes, since this information would likely change based on any additional facts. Thus the transmission and receipt of information on this web site by anyone does not form or constitute an attorney-client relationship. My knowledge of laws is limited to California. Anyone receiving any information on this web site should not act upon the information provided without first obtaining the services of professional legal counsel licensed in their respective jurisdiction. Best of luck.

Law Offices of Nathan Mubasher
2621 Green River Rd, Ste 105 PMB 403
Corona, CA 92882
tel 1-800-691-2721 | fax 1-310-356-3660
www.mubasherlaw.com

Limited Scope Representation

By

Nathan Mubasher

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Limited-scope representation in California is the topic of this article. Limited-scope representation in California is also known as “unbundling”, “unbundled legal services”, or “discrete task representation.

The term limited-scope representation refers to a situation where you and an attorney agree that they will handle some parts of your case and you will handle the other parts.

This is very different from the more traditional arrangements between attorneys and their clients where an attorney is retained to provide legal services on each and every aspect of a case from start to finish.

EXAMPLES OF LIMITED-SCOPE ARRANGEMENTS

You can just consult an attorney and get legal information and advice about your situation when you need it.

You can hire the attorney lawyer to represent you only for certain issues in your case (like representing you at a hearing) while you do the rest yourself.

You can hire the attorney to prepare the legal documents but file them yourself and represent yourself in court.

You can hire the attorney to coach you on how best to represent yourself in court as well as help you prepare the evidence that you will be presenting in court.

You can hire the attorney to assist you with the more complicated parts of your case, such as discovery and legal research while you do the easier tasks yourself.

When you cannot afford to pay for an attorney to handle your entire case, limited-scope representation can be an excellent way for you to have legal help with your case while keeping costs down.

And the Courts in the State of California approve of limited-scope representation because they want to encourage people to get as much legal assistance as they need to protect their rights.

The Courts favor limited-scope representation because they know that you will do a much better job of following proper court procedures and presenting the important information in court if you have the help of an attorney during the more complicated parts of a case.

BENEFITS OF USING LIMITED-SCOPE REPRESENTATION

The benefits of using limited scope representation include but are not limited to:

You can save money on legal fees because you are only paying an attorney to do those parts of your case that you cannot do yourself.
The attorney can use his or her time more efficiently by focusing their attention on the tasks that you cannot effectively do yourself while leaving other more time-consuming tasks to you.
You can keep greater control of your case than if the attorney handles the entire case.
You may be able to recover some or all of the fees that you paid to the attorney in certain situations such as a contract dispute where the prevailing party is entitled to be awarded their attorney’s fees.

Before deciding whether or not to hire an attorney using a limited-scope arrangement it is a good idea to:

Discuss your case with an attorney in detail, including areas that you want to handle yourself. If you do not discuss the entire case with the attorney, even the parts that you think are simple and want to handle yourself, you will not know if you have overlooked something that is legally important.

Once you have had this discussion with the attorney, you and the attorney can agree on whether a limited-scope arrangement will work for you and your case and you can be comfortable that you have identified any hidden complications.

Decide if you are willing to take on full responsibility for those parts of the case you will handle on your own. Remember that the attorney went to law school and probably has years of experience in this area. That means that he or she will know things you do not about the legal process.

If you instruct your attorney not to take certain steps, either to save money or because you want to remain in control, you will have the full responsibility for the outcome in the parts of the case you do yourself, even with an attorney coaching you.

CASES THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR LIMITED-SCOPE REPRESENTATION

But, there are many situations when limited-scope representation may not be a good idea, such as situations where your case has a lot of technical issues such as

Malpractice cases.
Construction defect cases.
Cases involving conflicting claims to real estate.
Employment discrimination or wrongful termination cases.
Cases where you do not have enough time to spend educating yourself and effectively performing many of the tasks that you need to do.
Cases where there is a lot at stake such as a case where if you lose, you could lose your home, or owe a lot of money.

LIMITED-SCOPE REPRESENTATION VS. REPRESENTING YOURSELF

In certain situations, limited-scope representation is a better alternative than representing yourself:

Having an attorney helping you with parts of your case can save you a lot of time and energy because the attorney can educate you about the process and your specific issues. He or she can also help you find self-help books and other resources so you can handle the parts of the case when you are on your own.
An attorney, by being more removed from your case than you are, can see things about your case that you cannot. An attorney can help you focus on the legal issues and on what the court can do for you, and not let yourself be distracted by other issues and emotions.
An attorney can identify potential problems or hidden complications early on, so you can avoid making a costly mistake.

You and the attorney should have an in-depth discussion about all the aspects of your case, and agree on your respective responsibilities and certain important issues such as:

Who will decide on the strategy for your case?
Who will gather what information?
Who will prepare the information for the court?
Who will draft documents for the court?
Who will appear at court proceedings and settlement conferences?
Who will negotiate with the other side?

In making decisions about these issues, remember that the attorney has the education and experience to work on the more technical parts of your case, guide you throughout the court process, and spot important legal issues that you may not see on your own.

You and the limited-scope attorney will be working as a team on your case however it is still your case. If you and the attorney cannot agree on who should take on which parts of the case, or on specific decisions that need to be made in your case, you should listen to what the attorney says. If the attorney feels strongly that the course you want to take is not in your best interests, listen carefully to the reasons why he or she is recommending you do something differently.

But, in the end, it is your case, your decision and your responsibility. You have the right to disregard the attorney’s advice, but if the case does not turn out the way you hoped, you have to be willing to accept the responsibility for your decision.

Thank you for reading. I hope I could have been educational as I endeavor to provide my knowledge as a free public service. Please note that all the materials and information on this web site are general analyses made available for the public’s general informational purposes only. These analyses are not in any way intended to serve as specific legal advice to be applied in your particular situation. Although I am an attorney, absent a signed retention and engagement letter, I am not your attorney. There are no exceptions to this rule. Moreover, you shall not rely on the information I am providing you, as it is only for your general knowledge and educational purposes, since this information would likely change based on any additional facts. Thus the transmission and receipt of information on this web site by anyone does not form or constitute an attorney-client relationship. My knowledge of laws is limited to California. Anyone receiving any information on this web site should not act upon the information provided without first obtaining the services of professional legal counsel licensed in their respective jurisdiction. Best of luck.

Law Offices of Nathan Mubasher
2621 Green River Rd, Ste 105 PMB 403
Corona, CA 92882
tel 1-800-691-2721 | fax 1-310-356-3660
www.mubasherlaw.com

Redlands Law Firm Celebrates Over 200 Years Experience

By

Stephen Levine

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Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox, LLP is a law firm in Redlands, CA with over 200 years of collective experience. Whether you are searching for a divorce lawyer or criminal defense attorney, choosing the right one can sometimes become an overwhelming task. Finding the appropriate lawyer for your case is simple at our law firm. At Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP, we are dedicated to serving our clients to help achieve desirable outcomes. If you are accused of a crime in the Redlands area, call us today to request legal assistance. Allow us to grant you the peace of mind you are seeking.

About the Firm

Our experienced attorneys boast significant accomplishments and come from diverse backgrounds. Considered Super Lawyers, each attorney has numerous successful court cases. With extensive training, your knowledgeable legal representation will work diligently to help you succeed as much as possible. We invite you to contact us today to learn more about our firm and schedule a consultation.

Criminal Defense

There is nothing more frightening than dealing with criminal charges. The attorneys at Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP will talk you through the process and ensure you understand your rights. Unfortunately, legal accusations can put you at risk in regards to your freedom and financial opportunities, so let us take care of you. Our partner Stephen Levine is Board Certified in Criminal Law, and each of our defense attorneys has the qualifications to handle felony and misdemeanor cases. You will never need to question our intentions or rush to agree with plea bargains. We represent clients with various criminal charges, including:

Domestic Violence
Drug Possession, Distribution, and Manufacturing
DUI
Burglary and Theft
Homicide
Fraud and Identity Theft
Sex Offenses

Family Law

Divorce comes as a difficult and stressful experience for most people, and our compassionate lawyers are available to help you decide the best course of action. In addition to dissolution of marriage, we also offer services regarding adoption, custody disputes, and prenuptial agreements. Family matters evoke emotional responses, but our team can help keep you on track and provide legal protection.

Bodily Injury

Accidents happen, but that does not mean you are not entitled to full compensation. You need a personal injury lawyer to fight for your right for medical coverage. Not only do we assist with bodily harm compensation, but we also handle wrongful death cases. Do not settle for less when our team can get you and your family what you deserve after a fatal accident. We will pursue legal proceedings so you can focus on spending time with your family.

Contact Us Today for a FREE Consultation

No matter what your legal issue is, the Redlands attorneys at Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP are ready and willing to speak with you. If you are in the Inland Empire region, call us today for a free initial consultation. We will make sure you receive the help you require to understand the legal system.

Depositions in California

By

Nathan Mubasher

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Depositions in California are the topic of this article.

Depositions in California are authorized by Code of Civil Procedure section 2025.010 which states in pertinent part that, “Any party may obtain discovery … by taking in California the oral deposition of any person, including any party to the action. The person deposed may be a natural person, an organization such as a public or private corporation, a partnership, an association, or a governmental agency.”

A party involved in litigation in California can take the deposition of any other party including adverse parties or co-parties. Parties can even take their own depositions so that they can have a record of their testimony in the event they are unavailable to testify at trial.

Depositions can also be taken of current officer, director, managing agent, or employee of a party pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section § 2025.280: “The service of a deposition notice under Section 2025.240 is effective to require any deponent who is a party to the action or an officer, director, managing agent, or employee of a party to attend and to testify…”

Depositions in California have some very unique advantages compared to other forms of discovery as well as some disadvantages which will both be discussed in this article.

Code of Civil Procedure § 2025.220 states that a party that wants to take the oral deposition of another party must give notice in writing and the notice must contain certain required information.

A plaintiff may serve a deposition notice without leave of court on any date that is 20 days after the service of the summons on, or appearance by, any defendant. On motion with or without notice, the court, for good cause shown, may grant to a plaintiff leave to serve a deposition notice on an earlier date. See Code of Civil Procedure § 2025.210.

A defendant may serve a deposition notice without leave of court at any time after that defendant has been served, or has appeared in the action, whichever occurs first.

Special notice requirements apply to the taking of a deposition of a corporation or other fictitious entity which is known as a deposition of person most knowledgeable or PMK deposition.

Code of Civil Procedure § 2025.230 states that, “If the deponent named is not a natural person, the deposition notice shall describe with reasonable particularity the matters on which examination is requested. In that event, the deponent shall designate and produce at the deposition those of its officers, directors, managing agents, employees, or agents who are most qualified to testify on its behalf as to those matters to the extent of any information known or reasonably available to the deponent.”

A recent California Court of Appeal case stated that “[t]he purpose of this provision is to eliminate the problem of trying to find out who in the corporate hierarchy has the information the examiner is seeking. E.g., in a product liability suit, who in the engineering department designed the defective part?” See Maldonado v. Sup.Ct. (ICG Telecom Group, Inc.) (2002) 94 Cal.App.4th 1390, 1395.

And a deposition notice is sufficient to compel a party or “party-affiliated” witnesses to produce books, records or other materials—including electronically-stored information—in their possession at the time of deposition … as long as the notice of deposition specifies with reasonable particularity the materials or category of materials (including any electronically-stored information) they are to produce. See Code of Civil Procedure § 2025.220(a)(4).

ADVANTAGES OF DEPOSITIONS:

Obtaining evidence from individuals or entities that are not parties to the action. A deposition is the only discovery method authorized by California law that permits you to obtain testimony, documents, electronically stored information, and other evidence from an individual or entity that is not a party to the action. See Code of Civil Procedure §§ 2020.010 through 2020.510.

Locks in testimony of opposing parties and possible unfriendly witnesses. Depositions are usually the best way to lock in the testimony of unfriendly witnesses and opposing parties.

Allows for personal observations of the witness. The attorney has an opportunity to personally observe the deponent in an examination setting and assess his or her potential effect on the trier of fact if the case goes to trial. And if the deposition is videotaped there is an additional advantage in that the trier of fact may also observe the demeanor of the witness during their deposition.

Obtain spontaneous responses. Your attorney can elicit more spontaneous and complete answers to his questions than with interrogatories because the witness’ responses are less likely to have been rehearsed with opposing counsel; and if the witness tries to evade a question or not answer it completely your attorney can immediately follow it with narrower, more precise questions until you are satisfied with the response.

No numerical limit to questions. Unlike the numerical limits imposed by California law on interrogatories and requests for admission, there are no limits on the number of questions that can be asked of a witness during a deposition although there is a general 7 hour time limit on the length of depositions for most individuals imposed by Code of Civil Procedure § 2025.290.

Defendants may obtain early discovery. If you are the defendant, you can notice a deposition as soon as you have been served with the complaint or appear in the action, whichever occurs first. Code of Civil Procedure § 2025.210(a).

Promoting settlement. If you want to settle the case and your attorney is deposing someone with settlement authority, carefully worded questions supported by documents demonstrating the strength of your case may affect the other party’s confidence in its claims or defenses and help lessen a party’s resolve to bring the matter to trial.

DISADVANTAGES OF DEPOSITIONS:

Cost. Preparing for and taking depositions may be more expensive than other forms of discovery, in that there are court reporter fees and videographer fees. There are also additional costs for attorney fees for time spent reviewing the file, preparing exhibits, researching legal issues, reviewing prior transcripts, preparing questions, and traveling to and taking the deposition.

Inefficient in some cases. Depositions can be inefficient unless sufficient time has been spent preparing for the deposition. Otherwise valuable time may be wasted sorting through facts and documents for the first time during the deposition. A skilled attorney will demand documents and review interrogatory responses to detailed factual questions before taking the deposition.

Reveals information to your opponent. You lose the advantage of surprising the opposing party and opposing counsel at trial by revealing the most probable areas of examination at trial and interrogation methods of your attorney, and it can also stimulate opposing counsel to prepare for trial more carefully, in that the questions asked by your attorney may reveal previously unknown facts and issues to opposing counsel.

Educates witnesses. There is a risk that witnesses who make poor showings at a deposition will learn by their mistakes and be coached to become stronger witnesses at trial. There is also the risk that the witness will disclose grounds for impeachment or weakness in testimony that the opposing party can use at trial.

An experienced attorney that has extensive experience in depositions can analyze your unique situation and determine if the advantages of taking depositions outweigh the disadvantages in your case.

Thank you for reading. I hope I could have been educational as I endeavor to provide my knowledge as a free public service. Please note that all the materials and information on this web site are general analyses made available for the public’s general informational purposes only. These analyses are not in any way intended to serve as specific legal advice to be applied in your particular situation. Although I am an attorney, absent a signed retention and engagement letter, I am not your attorney. There are no exceptions to this rule. Moreover, you shall not rely on the information I am providing you, as it is only for your general knowledge and educational purposes, since this information would likely change based on any additional facts. Thus the transmission and receipt of information on this web site by anyone does not form or constitute an attorney-client relationship. My knowledge of laws is limited to California. Anyone receiving any information on this web site should not act upon the information provided without first obtaining the services of professional legal counsel licensed in their respective jurisdiction. Best of luck.

Law Offices of Nathan Mubasher
2621 Green River Rd, Ste 105 PMB 403
Corona, CA 92882
tel 1-800-691-2721 | fax 1-310-356-3660
www.mubasherlaw.com

NAP, What is it and Why Should I Care?

By

Joel Smith

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There are so many technical terms in these fast moving days in the internet world and knowing what each one stands for, and importantly what it means to your law firms bottom line requires a reference guide bigger than those old encyclopedias your grandmother bought you for Christmas in 79. I want to take the time to point out one of the most important and foundation terms, and procedure every legal professional should know and live by.

Introducing NAP. Simply put, NAP stands for Name, Address & Phone. Easy enough, right? That’s it. Name. Address. Phone. So why is this term so important to a legal professional when it comes to advertising. Well because it is everything for not only the foundation of your web presence, but crucial for your online growth. NAP refers to a business citation, or reference on the web that provides information about a business. The most common would be a Yelp profile, Yellowpages online, or even legal niche internet directories. They are your business profiles most commonly. It is most basic form, it is a web page on some website that has reference to your business.

So why is NAP important? If you put up a Yelp, an Avvo and a few more you’re not done. NAP is a key indicating factor to major search engines like Google, of the importance of your business and it’s online presence. Easily enough, all things equal, the more NAP citations a business has, the more relevant or important that business, and the higher ranking potential it has in search engines. Think of it like a voting process. Search engines count up NAP for a business and all things equal, the business with more NAP will potentially show up higher in search. “All things equal” refers to the fact that no marketing program of a business is ever the same and as we all know, countless factors influence your ranking, so NAP is just one, but important.

So what do I do with NAP? You want to keep a few easy tips in mind when building your NAP and expanding your presence.

Match your NAP. The most benefit from NAP only comes with consistency. This means your business name, address, phone, url want to be identical as you build or clean up your NAP. Subtle difference that seem nominal count. Example would be your url. www vs non www. Address would be Suite 5 vs Ste 5. Business name, John Doe Law Office vs Law Offices of John Doe. Even though to our eyes these are all the same, to a search engine robot they’re all different. As we spoke about “Votes” earlier, those differences all cast votes separate places.
Update Your NAP. When changes to your business happen, you want to update your NAPs. Obvious would be the name, address, phone, but also important are operating hours, new website and more. Make sure you always have the most current information available on the web. It reduces confusion to the important search engine robot, but also your potential clients.
Never Stop NAPing. The Voting process of search engines never ends. Just because you’re on top today doesn’t mean someone with a bigger budget is quickly catching up and about to over take you. Regularly search for new places to NAP. Online directories, niche directories, anything you can find (that isn’t spammy or black hat) is a place to NAP.

In closing, if you’re ready to get your NAP on, then good for you. It is sometimes the most time intensive process. but when you look back after a year of consistent NAP building you will be thankful you did. As a bonus, for Attorneys and Lawyers, here is a great reference list to quickly find some more places to NAP you may not have seen: Free Law Firm Directories by Ranking. List provided by Chris at Rankings.io.

Ecigs vs the Manufacturer

By

percymartinez

0

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Over the last 10 years, e-cigarettes have found a toehold within the broad tobacco industry, though tobacco is not used in the making of these products. E-cigarettes have made tremendous inroads in the marketplace, especially for those who have been trying to quit the use of nicotine-based products or those who wish to “be cool” by smoking without the known health risks of tobacco cigarettes, cigars or pipes.

E-Cigs are becoming popular

While use among younger users is up 900 percent in the last few years according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, e-cigarettes do have their own risks to the human body that have gone under the radar. The good news is, the risk does indeed have nothing to do with tar or nicotine, so it’s not a risk that builds over long periods of time of sustained smoking. The bad news is, the risk can be much more immediate and results in burns on the skin or clothing, or damage to the mouth or hands. As it turns out, e-cigarettes seem to have a problem with the batteries overheating and/or exploding as people use them, causing major problems and significant injuries to users and even to others as shrapnel from exploded batteries and e-cig devices can fly across a room.

Exploding Lithium-ion Batteries

E-cigarettes use lithium-ion batteries and a heating element to turn the fluid in the devices into the vapor that you see when a user “smokes” the device. Lithium-ion batteries are commonplace nowadays, but these specially designed batteries seem to have a hard time staying together when they get pushed with overheating and excessive use.

The question is, when these explosions happen, can the user hold the manufacturer of the e-cigarette responsible for any injuries or damage caused by its product? This is a difficult question to answer definitively, but the possibility does exist that yes, a user can hold the manufacturer responsible, if it is determined that there was something wrong with the e-cigarette up the supply chain. This is where a good defective-products lawyer can play a huge role in this question.

Product Liability of Ecigs

A good product liability lawyer will have the best investigators who know a product’s supply chain and will work on the process of how the user got the e-cigarette in the first place, tracking back to the seller, finding the distributor of the product and going back to the original manufacturer to find out if the product was knowingly defective or whether there was a high likelihood of a problem because of how the product was made.

The Defective Product

If the lawyer can determine that the manufacturer made a defective product, there is a chance that the manufacturer may be held accountable for damages. The caution is that several manufacturers are not in the U.S. or Canada, and laws regarding liability are different in other countries. If you have an exploding e-cigarette, make sure you take care of your damage and injuries quickly, but then make a call to a good personal injury lawyer Miami to get a consultation about your case so the investigation can begin so there is an understanding of what happened and how. You owe it to yourself to understand accountability.