You might be unsure of where you should turn when you’ve suffered a serious injury in an accident. Do you take the first settlement an insurance provider offers? If you hire an attorney, will people think you’re greedy?
The fact is, seeking personal injury representation following an accident can only benefit yourself. Having a legal advocate in your corner can enable you to focus on your recovery. There are several reasons why you should consider hiring a personal injury attorney.
Determining what your claim is worth and presenting your claim
Insurance companies want to get claims off of their books as soon as possible. They also want to settle for as little as possible. You might be able to look at your medical expenses and the loss of property to help determine what should be a fair amount. However, there are other factors to consider.
Will the effects of your injury linger into the future? Will you require ongoing medical care? How do you account for intangibles, such as pain and suffering? An attorney with experience handling personal injury cases has a better idea of what a claim is worth. A lawyer can help gather all of the documentation you need to present the strongest case. An attorney can also give you an idea of whether an offer is fair or whether you should demand more.
You won’t be confronted with a huge legal bill
Most lawyers take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t owe an attorney any legal fees unless they successfully recover compensation on your behalf. When your case is settled, a lawyer will take a set percentage of your damages as payment.
Making sense of the paperwork
Accident reports, medical charts, and court filings are enough to overwhelm just about anybody. An attorney understands how to make sense of everything. Let your legal counsel deal with the red tape. You can focus on the most important things.
A personal injury claim is not like playing the lottery
People have a misconception that personal injury claims are just an attempt to score a multimillion-dollar payday. A personal injury suit is about recovering the compensation you need to effectively treat your injuries and make you whole again. They are about holding reckless actors accountable for their actions. An attorney can help ensure your story is heard.