Q: How do I obtain a copy of a personal injury complaint to use as a guide to file my own complaint?
A:
Unless you are filing in Small Claims court, the best answer is, you don't. Instead, you hire a qualified attorney to file for you. If you can't find an attorney to work for either a reasonable fee or on a contingency then chances are your case is not one with significant merit and you should reconsider bringing it without an attorney to help.
If the case is a matter of small claims, then you walk into your local courthouse and fill out the small claims paperwork. The clerk of court can provide you with instructions on which documents to fill out.
If you want to really copy a Complaint you can go to the courthouse and look up a pending personal injury litigation matter and copy it. As a matter of public record, these documents are open to public inspection.
Best of luck.
A: There is an old saying: "any lawyer who represents himself....has a fool for a client." My point is that even those licensed to practice law know that it is foolish to try to represent themselves. As a non-attorney - you would stand virtually no chance of success if the defendant hires an attorney of almost any level of competence. Unless the issue is small claims, I hope you found a reputable personal-injury attorney in your area. Remember, we do not charge unless we are successful. So you have nothing to lose.
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