When you have suffered an accident that you believe was no fault of your own, you will often find that you have 101 things turning over in your mind all at once. How will you afford the medical bills that come with this injury, will you need to go to court, and should you hire a personal injury lawyer – or will you be able to handle the claim on your own?
This can be exhausting, but knowing how to move forward from your injury is crucial to your wellbeing, health, and financial health. The process of obtaining compensation for an injury is not usually straightforward, and it can be especially difficult without professional legal representation.
Knowing exactly when you need to hire a personal injury lawyer will be key to getting the result that you deserve. You likely won’t need a lawyer for minor injuries, but if you find yourself with a more severe injury, you will benefit from the specialized skills and knowledge of someone who knows the legal system well.
You must remember that your insurance company will have teams of lawyers who evaluate your claim immediately – and will probably do anything they can to find a reason to deny it or delay it. If another party is involved in the situation, their insurance company will be doing the same thing. You may start on the backfoot if you don’t get a lawyer right away when every other party has a whole team working for them.
It is possible to attempt to represent yourself in a case, but there are numerous things you will need to consider that will likely add stress to your already stressful situation. How do you know what your injury is worth, and how will you assign value to it? You may save hundreds in legal fees, but you may end up under-settling by thousands.
You will also need to have the ability to stand up against insurance companies and defendant solicitors whose sole purpose is to prove that their client is not liable for your injury – or end up settling for the lowest amount. It will not be a level playing field, which is why obtaining professional representation is the smartest way to proceed.
Every situation is different, so being able to accurately assess your situation to discern whether you need to hire a personal injury lawyer or not is a must.
Read on if you’re in doubt and would like some examples of situations in which you should hire a personal injury lawyer.
You Don’t Know Who Is At Fault
You’ve been involved in an accident, and you may have an injury to some degree.
Accidents can happen extremely quickly, especially car accidents. This often means you’re not entirely sure what went wrong and who is really at fault for the accident. Consulting an attorney when you are not sure who is at fault is key.
The other party’s insurance company will almost certainly attempt to blame you and win money for damages if you do not seek help from a professional lawyer. By talking to a reputable attorney early on, you can ensure that you are protected from any counterclaims and false accusations that come your way. You can’t simply expect the other party to play fair – you must protect yourself.
Your Injury Is Serious/You Are Disabled
Suffering a severe injury, or even an injury leading to disability is another important reason to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can. You are potentially facing a lifetime of medical bills, pain, and suffering due to this injury. You may learn how to get by with your injury and lead to a high quality of life, but your life will change forever and you must learn to adapt. This deserves compensation.
Consulting a reputable personal injury lawyer early on will help to prevent serious, lifelong financial stress that could come as a result of your injury or disability.
You Need To Protect Evidence
Over time, evidence and memories fade. Hiring a personal injury lawyer right away means a prompt investigation of the facts surrounding the incident, which will be crucial to the success of your case.
You do not need to pursue a case right away, and you can always attempt to begin by yourself. Still, chances are, you will wish you had a professional in your corner to investigate and document the evidence for you properly.
There’s More Than One Party Involved
In a personal accident, there will more than likely be another party involved. When there’s more than one party involved, they will likely take steps to protect themselves as quickly as possible, visiting a personal injury lawyer for advice. If you neglect to do this, then you’re eventually going to be stuck with the bill.
You may not be in the wrong, but you are going to struggle to handle a claim such as this by yourself if the other party is working with a personal injury lawyer and you are not.
Having a reputable lawyer that knows the law backing your corner will ensure you get the compensation you deserve, or at the very least, that you don’t need to pay out for anything that wasn’t your fault.
An attorney will be able to build a solid case for you, protecting you from cross-claims and dealing with multiple insurance companies at once.
If the other party is at fault for your injury, a personal injury lawyer will get the maximum amount of compensation you deserve, leaving nothing left on the table. If you’re in any doubt that you will not be able to do this yourself, hire a lawyer as soon as you can.
The Insurance Company Has Denied Your Claim
If your insurance company has denied your claim, you have another good reason to contact a personal injury lawyer.
Whether you’ve been involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault or another kind of accident, ensuring you get what you are entitled to is something a reputable lawyer will do for you. They can help to take the burden off your shoulders and deal with stressful phone calls and claims, so you can focus on taking care of yourself.
Insurance companies will often deny claims in the hopes that the claimant won’t bother trying again – they don’t like to give up their money without a fight.
Another instance in which you’ll find a personal injury lawyer useful is when an insurance company is seriously delaying your claim.
They may not flat out deny your claim right away if they know that they have to pay out, but they may sneakily delay your claim for as long as possible. There are many complicated laws that people don’t understand, and insurance companies know this and may take advantage of it to delay your legitimate claim.
When an insurance company does this, they hope that if they delay your claim for long enough you will not put up a fight when they finally approach you with just a fraction of what your claim is worth.
Many people will accept the offer out of desperation and mounting bills, when in reality, a personal injury lawyer could have fought the insurance company, sped up the process, and won the maximum amount for the claimant.
The Other Party’s Insurance Company Wants To Talk To You
If the other party’s insurance company has been trying to get in touch with you – get a lawyer right away. This company is not on your side, and although they may act like they just want a fair result, you can bet that they don’t.
Having a personal injury lawyer respond to the company on your behalf will ensure that the case is handled properly and that the insurance company does not try to take advantage of you.
You Do Not Know The True Value Of Your Case
If you do not want to work with an attorney, you will have a lot on your plate. You’ll need to prove that the person you are suing owed you a duty of care, that they failed to do this, that they caused your injuries, and that money damages occurred as a result.
Working out the true value of your case can be difficult, and it’s easy to under-value it or get it totally wrong when working alone. The legal process is extremely slow, too, with cases often taking up to 5 years to go to trial. This means that you will still need to have all of the evidence, fact, and figures in your mind after 5 years.
It’s easy to get things wrong once this timeframe has passed, and although you may be well entitled to compensation, inconsistencies presented by you could go against you in court.
Seek Medical Care After After An Accident
If you injured in an auto accident or in a workplace it’s vital that you see medical attention right away. It’s especially important since some injuries can be hidden for days or weeks.
Call (888) 590-4030 to find an experienced auto accident doctor near you today!