The legal field has a lot of specialized, and often confusing, terminology. To help shed a little light on a significant distinction in personal injury law practice, we’re talking specifically today about trial lawyers, litigators, and litigation.
Understanding the distinction between trial lawyers and litigators is essential for anyone navigating the legal landscape. While both roles involve legal representation, their focus and methods often vary significantly.
What’s the Difference Between a Trial Lawyer and a Litigator?
Fundamentally, the distinction between a litigator and a trial attorney lies in their respective objectives for a case. Litigators are primarily focused on reaching a settlement, whereas trial attorneys aim to the case to trial. However, choosing a litigator doesn’t ensure your case will always end in a settlement.
Litigators handle the case from beginning to end. They are often extremely skilled at gathering investigative information, documenting and analyzing details around the events of an accident, drafting demands, conducting depositions, and communicating with the opposing counsel.
They accomplish all of these tasks in such a way as to represent their clients’ interests and make the best possible case so that they can reach settlement and resolution without necessarily escalating the case to trial. They excel in working with people, forging compromises, and authoring compelling legal communication.
Trial lawyers are specialists in the skill sets necessary for fighting a case at trial. They are experienced in jury selection, making opening and closing arguments, telling a compelling story of their client’s situation in court so they can connect with and compel judges and juries to understand their client’s side of an issue.
Trial lawyers are often equipped with strong communication skills and courtroom experience, allowing them to navigate complex legal issues and respond to challenges from opposing counsel. Their goal is to secure the best possible outcome for their clients, whether through a favorable verdict or a fair settlement reached during the trial process.
Yes. There certainly is overlap, and these broad categories do not mean that attorneys choose only one type of practice or another. Many attorneys develop a practice that may include any combination of these skills to best compliment the approach of their firm and to best serve their clients.
At Thompson Law, we have attorneys on staff who are skilled at both litigation and trial law. We able to provide full-service personal injury law expertise from the moment after your accident all the way through any settlement or trial that your case may require. Further, we have a reputation in our field among insurers and courts that our firm is not afraid to take a case all the way to trial. This helps your case as our adversaries take us seriously and our peers respect our practice.
What is Litigation?
The term litigation is somewhat confusing in light of the distinction between litigators and trial lawyers. Litigation is “an action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute.” So, while litigators handle a case through all parts of the process, and trial lawyers focus on court trials, litigation is what happens across the spectrum of practice for litigators and trial lawyers.
For more information on litigation, check out this video from litigation attorney, Ryan Anderson.
There are a few key indicators to look for when you are seeking to retain a personal injury lawyer. When entering into a personal injury negotiation, you want to ensure that every option you may need throughout the process is available to you.
Selecting a firm with excellent litigators and trial lawyers alike would mean that whichever direction your case and life circumstances may take, you will have expert legal resources ready to fight for you. Be sure to carefully vet the lawyer you are considering hiring to ensure they reach quality benchmarks in the following areas:
The first step to answering this question is aligning yourself with a trial attorney or a firm that is comfortable taking cases to trial. As you begin a personal injury claim, be sure to select and engage an experienced and reputable firm that is comfortable and capable of taking cases that need to go to court all the way. By using the tips above for selecting an attorney, especially hiring a lawyer you are comfortable working with, you can feel at ease taking your lawyer’s advice on your options.
A skilled trial lawyer will be able to advise you on the full scope of risks and benefits to settling or moving forward with a lawsuit throughout the process of fighting for you. Each circumstance is different, but just a short list of reasons that personal injury cases may proceed to court include:
When it comes to injury claims, the timeline for selecting a litigator or trial lawyer is critical. In Texas, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is typically two years from the date of the accident. This means that you must file a lawsuit on your claim within this period to retain your right to seek compensation.
While you can choose a legal representative at any point during this timeframe, it is advisable to consult with an attorney as soon as possible. Early legal involvement can help gather evidence, assess the details of your case, and develop a strategy for negotiation or trial. Delaying this decision could jeopardize your chances of a successful outcome, so act promptly to ensure that your rights are fully protected.
Thompson Law is unique in that as a full-service personal injury law firm, our team includes attorneys who are masters of settlement negotiations, as well as experts in the practice of courtroom trials. If you have been involved in a serious car or truck accident, workplace accident, or other injurious incident caused by the negligence of another, you deserve representation from a firm that can provide every service you may need in the course of your personal injury battle.
Contact Thompson Law for a FREE, NO RISK OR OBLIGATION CONSULTATION today. Any time of day or night, 365 days a year, you can speak with an expert who can answer your questions, get you signed up for representation, and get you started on the road to recovery.
Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay one penny unless we win your case for you. If you’ve been hurt, you owe it to yourself to get the best personal injury representation on your side, so that you can focus on your health and healing. Don’t delay, call the team at Thompson Law right away.
Whether you need personal injury experts, litigators, negotiators, trial lawyers, workplace accident lawyers, car or truck wreck lawyers, Thompson Law has you covered for your legal needs. If you have been hurt on the road, at work, or in any other accident by the fault of another driver or another party, you deserve help and you deserve compensation for your losses, pain, and suffering.
At Thompson Law, our goal is always to provide the absolute best settlement with maximum compensation, all while ensuring that those we serve have the very best client experience throughout the process. Reach out right away. There are many convenient ways to contact our firm so that you can speak with us by a method that best suits you, your schedule, and your life.
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Thompson Law receives an attorney fee and you pay no legal fees as our client unless we pay you. Thompson Law has 350 years of combined experience in legal representation and has won over $1.8 billion dollars in cash settlements for our clients. We master the art of managing client cases with empathy, compassion, respect and, of course, prodigious skill. Contact us today for a free, risk-free consultation to discuss your accident and your options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an auto accident. If you have been injured in an accident, call now to get the help you need.
