If you’ve been injured by another’s careless actions, you might consider hiring an attorney. A good attorney is an individual who is knowledgeable in the field of your injury case and will work to make sure you receive a fair claim.
Individuals are often unsure whether it is worth the trouble to hire an attorney. In some cases, it would be easier for the victim to handle the claim himself or herself. Examples include when the injuries are minor or when there is no real property damage.
Minor injuries could include bruises, bumps, and small scrapes. Minor property damage include when you can’t physically see damage to the property.
In those cases, insurance companies are more likely to offer you a reasonable settlement.
However, sometimes a seemingly harmless injury or property damage can turn out to be much more. Don’t rush to make a decision you might regret later.
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Instances When You Should Consider Hiring An Attorney:
When you are unsure about the law
- If you do not know what the next steps are after being injured, a lawyer can guide you along the right path of a fair settlement. A good attorney will answer all your questions in depth.
When you believe the insurance company isn’t offering you a fair claim
- Insurance companies are businesses. Ultimately, it is their job to save money for the company.
- Do not accept quick settlement offers from your claims adjuster if you do not believe they are just. If you accept an offer, it is final. You will not be able to receive more money later on even if your injuries or damages end up being more severe than originally thought.
- Wait to see your doctor. A “minor” injury might turn out to be more serious.
- Settlement adjusters will often spring settlement claims on the victim. Because the individual injured wants to move on from the accident, they often accept the claim, not realizing that they should have received more or that their injuries worsened.
When you realize that the claim that the insurance company offers you, is not enough to cover your medical bills
- Do not let the medical bills caused by the negligence of another fall on your wallet.
When you feel pressured to release your medical records by the insurance company
- Do not sign anything that allows the insurance adjuster to look at your medical history
- They will dig for information that they can use against you. They will try to look at your past injuries and claim that your new ones were because of past conditions.
When you are dealing with serious injuries or injuries that could potentially need to be treated for an extended period of time
- The seriousness of your injuries is judged by your doctor, medical bills, and the time it takes you to recover
- Do not rush your healing process
- Medical bills will be growing over time. Do not let the charges fall on you when it was not your fault
- If your standard of living has lowered because of your injuries, (e.g. you are not able to do daily activities, you were unable to attend work, you missed out on events, etc.) they could be more serious than you originally believed.
When the at fault driver is in dispute
- If you believe the other driver caused the accident, but they refuse to take responsibility, you should consider hiring a lawyer (especially if you sustain serious injuries or your car has heavy damage)
- Their insurance company will try to prove that their client was not at fault or that you have equal fault in the accident.
Benefits to Hiring an Attorney:
Attorneys bring guidance
- Individuals who are injured might be unsure about what happens next. Unfortunately, you can be taken advantage of if you do not know what you are legally entitled to. An attorney will offer their expertise in the field.
Attorneys bring experience
- A good attorney knows how insurance companies think. They will do the research necessary to build your case and will negotiate with them to give you the best settlement offer.
- They are well rehearsed in the personal injury laws unique to your state.
- If your lawsuit goes to trial, a good attorney will also have experience in the courtroom. They know how the process works and how to represent you to a judge.
Attorneys will handle the insurance companies
- It can often be overwhelming for a victim to handle the case on his or her own. After an accident, the victim should be concerned about the healing process, not the insurance companies.
- An attorney will handle the details of the case and update you on the progress so you can focus on recovering from your injuries
It is possible to handle your own personal injury case. A motivated individual has access to the law and can learn what their rights are in their specific state. However, attorneys have interpreted the law over and over again and know how to apply it to your particular case. They hold years of experience that an accident victim simply cannot aspire to within the time frame, especially in such a difficult time in their lives.
According to the Insurance Research Council, personal injury victims are awarded a substantially higher settlement with the aid of an attorney.
At Good Guys Injury Law, we offer individualized attention. Each year we receive hundreds of cases but we only accept a few. We want to offer our clients the best representation and we do this by giving our full focus on your particular case.
If we decide to take on your case, you will receive personalized attention. You will be assigned an attorney that will meet with you regularly. We will make ourselves available to you as a client and we will make sure you understand the legal process. We will also personally keep you updated on all progress made on your case.
Our law firm will not charge you unless your case settles or we win at trial. This allows you peace of mind. Your focus should be on healing from your injuries. We work diligently to make sure you have a strong and firm case.
If you’d like to learn more about the work we do, schedule a free consultation with us and we will go over your situation. We will be honest with you. We will let you know if it would be better to handle the claim on your own. We will also let you know if you have a case at all.
If you believe your claim would benefit from an attorney, research attorneys in your area. Sooner is always better than later.
Sources: DMV, Expert Law, NOLO, Federal Trade Commission