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Personal injury lawyers are legal representatives of the plaintiffs who have suffered personal injuries (bodily /mentally) by the actions of their defendants. The basic work of the Personal injury lawyers is to offer legal advice and draft legal documents on the victim's behalf and their aim is to get them compensation for the injuries suffered. They deal with cases such as wrongful deaths, automobile accidents, medical malpractices, nursing home abuse, animal bites, defamation of character, assault and battery, defective products, "slip and fall" cases, food poisoning etc.
Personal injury lawyers are also referred to as Plaintiff lawyers / trial lawyers because their basic work is to represent persons who are suing for damages. Usually these lawyers deal with cases that fall under the Tort Law, though they are not limited to work injuries, automobile accidents, medical malpractices etc.
In order to practice law in the United States, personal injury lawyers like other lawyers, need to pass the written Bar exam. These exams are usually administered by state agencies of individual states or they could be an office or committee of the state's highest court. In some states, it is essential to pass written ethics examination. However, it is mandatory to complete a four year college degree and a law degree from an accredited law school. In addition, it is compulsory for the personal injury lawyers to have passed the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).
In order to become a personal injury specialist, a personal injury lawyer needs to complete a special certification programme accredited by the American Bar Association or any other accredited certifying agency.
A personal injury lawyer may practice solo or be attached to a small or a large law firm. He may also be a partner or an owner of a law firm.
These personal injury lawyers are either voluntary or mandatory members of professional associations such as the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, the American Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, founded in 1990 is one of the most popular voluntary associations in the United States today, with a membership of 5000 personal injury lawyers campaigning for better laws to help personal injury victims.
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