According to the CDC, each year, there are 39.5 million cases of personal injury that require medical treatment in the United States. This equals about 126.3 cases for every 1,000.
Acting immediately and claiming compensation is best when you have a personal injury claim. Do not go it alone, though. You need a personal injury lawyer to help, and here is why.
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A Personal Injury Lawyer is Objective
Following an accident, you are surrounded by stress when you sustain an injury. You have physical pain, but you are also feeling intense emotions. Especially when you feel traumatized, seeing your claim through an objective lens can make it nearly impossible.
It is critical to obtain experienced legal representation to protect your rights. It would help if you had an advocate to give you legal advice. Plus, someone who can represent you in court, allowing you to receive fair compensation.
The only path to an appropriate resolution is to handle the personal injury claim justly and without emotion.
Negotiation Skills
Claiming compensation gets tricky, especially with insurance companies. Insurers are sly like foxes. They like to make you think your claim is worth lower than it is.
Insurance companies are interested in their profit margin. They do not feel sorry for you. When they give you a limited first offer, have a personal injury lawyer negotiate.
An expert attorney will never accept the first offer. That is because they know that, first of all, this is not the best offer, and second, they are skilled negotiators. An expert lawyer will get the best deal on the table, and they will handle all the communications to get to it.
The right attorney has the education and experience to handle the insurance company. Never negotiate on your own, especially on a recorded line.
Avoid Making Crucial Mistakes
The insurance company may want to reach you immediately when they discover you have an injury. The adjuster could contact you. They will want to hear your story.
The adjuster may sound like a kind soul, but they are doing business with you. Further, they will likely record the conversation and may try to deceive you. They will try to lure you into saying something to hurt your case.
Recorded statements can be used against you in court.
Another way an insurance company can trick you is by having you sign a release form to get your medical records. They will find details about the injuries from the case but also look at other information. It is a way to build a case against you, looking for another cause.
The best action is not to make statements with the at-fault party’s insurance company or attorney. That is why you get legal representation. Let your injury attorney handle all communications.
They Can Prove Your Case
Beyond recorded statements, personal injury lawyers know how to investigate your case. They will pull the evidence they need to build a solid case.
Questions can arise to try to get out of paying you. If it concerns insurance, liability, or assets, the attorney will know the answer and where to find the correct documentation. They will build your claim the way you need to win your share.
Evaluates Risks and Potential Downsides
If you do not prevail in your claim, you could take a financial risk, primarily if you pursue a lawsuit. The law can be highly complicated. Offers of Judgment may apply.
Expert attorneys will offer legal advice on if there are financial risks to moving forward with litigation. However, there are measures that an excellent lawyer can take to lower risk and exposure. This is because they know the law inside and out.
Remember that if you lose, you risk the chances of the at-fault party coming after you. They can seek costs and attorney fees. You need an advocate on your side to prevent this from happening.
Giving You A Fair Fight
If you are not an attorney by profession, then it will never be an even match, claiming compensation on your own. Going head-to-head with a defense attorney on your own will prove fruitless. You might even end up empty-handed when you were not at fault and have significant injuries and damages.
Having a brilliant personal injury lawyer makes the battle even. Attorneys are trained to investigate claims and build evidence. Let an expert do the heavy lifting in your case.
Expedite the Claim
In 2021, there were 46,980 motor-vehicle-related deaths in the U.S. Even more, Americans die than this from preventable medical errors each year.
This is a significant burden when a loved one passes away from a wrongful death case. Not only are you looking for due process, but you are also plagued with grief. To learn more about justice and peace, read this full article.
Getting representation will move your settlement along more quickly. You need swift action to help heal during a tragic time when bills are piling up, including funeral costs in some cases. A well-versed injury attorney knows the ins and outs of moving a claim along fast, and you can focus on your emotional well-being.
Access to Medical Care
Some physicians will not treat the victim of an accident. That is because they worry about potential litigation. Also, the doctor’s office may not know how to bill the insurance company.
It is best to get professional legal representation immediately. The personal injury law firm can likely find a physician who will adequately treat you. Don’t wait to get the assistance you need from a doctor.
Peace of Mind
Severe injuries from another’s negligence lead to more than physical pain. It is common to endure psychological and emotional trauma. Claiming compensation when you are not emotionally well will cause further stress and frustration.
You may not be thinking enough to handle things. Reaching out to an attorney for help will alleviate some of the burden. Lessening your load will help you emotionally.
Add Credibility to Your Case
Every case is different. You will never know who or what you need to prove your claim until you speak with an expert attorney. Perhaps you will need an expert witness, and a good lawyer will have a vast network to find one.
Access to these kinds of connections will help immensely, especially if you end up in court. You will need people to testify on your behalf.
It will make your case stronger. Otherwise, you could struggle to support your claim with insufficient evidence. This will not happen with a personal injury attorney.
Represents You in Court
A recent statistic shows that to receive a court verdict for a personal injury lawsuit will likely take one to three years. Both insurance agencies and attorneys prefer to settle claims out of court. However, that is not always the outcome.
Should your claim move to court, the personal injury attorney will do this seamlessly for you, as they are already closely involved in your case. Going to court requires paperwork, meeting deadlines, and a thorough understanding of the law.
Without an expert on the court process and excellent representation to talk with the judge, your chances of winning are not likely. Getting the best lawyer from the beginning will get you through this ordeal.
Statute of Limitations
Without representation, victims often miss the Statute of Limitations. This is a cut-off period. Your case will extinguish after this time.
Not notifying the at-fault party in the appropriate timeframe will blow the case. At this point, you will lose the right to sue. An attorney protects your claim and interests by knowing the cut-off dates and working ahead to avoid missing out on compensation.
Alternative Ways to Reach a Settlement
Of course, a superior personal injury attorney will try to settle out of court. Not only is it quicker, but you will avoid paying court fees and other fees related to the case. The best lawyer will look toward mediation or arbitration for a possible resolution.
Deciding Whether to File Suit or Settle
It’s a big question. The answer directly impacts the amount of compensation you will receive and when. Multiple factors play into what the correct answer is.
An expert lawyer will know what the right decision is. They are working to provide you with services that give you the most significant benefit. You can relax knowing that an expert is making your best decision.
Often Works on a Contingency Fee
Many people save for a rainy day. If you sustain an injury, it’s not just raining. It’s pouring!
There is much to take in, from bills to paperwork to phone calls and letters. Outstanding invoices and medical bills can especially be troublesome, as they pile up and you have not received compensation yet. Therefore, paying out of pocket for excellent representation may not be feasible.
Luckily, many personal injury attorneys work on personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis. You only pay the lawyer a portion of your compensation if they collect for you. This achieves a couple of significant benefits.
One is that attorney is motivated to win the claim. Second, they will want to negotiate the highest dollar amount for a more significant fee. This is a situation you would call a win-win.
Improves Your Odds
When another party causes your injury, you can be compensated for it. This includes the cost of pain and suffering, lost wages, etc., related to your injury. Do not risk losing out on the claim, but beyond this, you should get the highest amount.
Never settle with the at-fault party or the insurance company because you think the amount is okay or sounds fair. Insurers are businesses and are only interested in their bottom line. It takes a legal expert to tell you the facts and what the true amount should be.
Experience With Similar Claims
The reason that a personal injury lawyer can determine the actual value of your claim is by experience. Through other cases that they have handled, they have a clear picture of what the ending should look like. Do not trust online calculators or friends with no legal background.
In these critical circumstances, you won’t get a do-over if you get it wrong. You don’t need to learn by experience and risk losing money to find out how you should have handled it.
Get representation that has a solid background in personal injuries and dealing with insurance agencies. This is how you can indeed receive the highest dollar amount. It is to an attorney’s advantage to have experience, so leverage it.
Experience With Other Lawyers
Sometimes, there are other legal factors affecting your case. These include criminal charges, divorce, bankruptcy, etc. This makes reaching a settlement or getting a judgment much more complex.
Hiring a superior personal injury lawyer means you will benefit from access to their network. A professional attorney builds relationships with lawyers in other areas of practice. It is in your best interest to reap the rewards of this kind of robust network.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Hiring a personal injury lawyer has significant benefits; it is the only choice to make when an at-fault party causes you harm. You will get a higher award quickly. They can negotiate, represent you in court, and work on a contingency fee basis.
The choice is clear. We publish articles daily with rock-solid advice. Don’t bounce yet.
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