When Do You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you are making a legal claim for compensation due to an injury, you may want to start by handling your own paperwork and dealing with the insurance provider of the other party directly. And, if everything in that process proceeds smoothly, you might be able to take care of the whole process on your own.
In many cases, things don’t proceed smoothly, you may need to seek legal advice and/or representation in order to have your claim handled properly and fairly. Remember, insurance companies are in business to protect their interest, and therefore to pay out as little for claims as possible, not to help you out.
Here are a few reasons why handling a personal injury claim yourself may not be the best choice:
The Insurance Company Will Not Make a Fair Offer for Settlement
Your personal injury claim may be simple and clear-cut — you may think it is, at least. But if the insurance company is only willing to settle for a small amount, and your claim is for more money than your state’s small claims court would cover, then it may be necessary to hire a lawyer.
Even taking the cost of legal representation into consideration, it may be worth it to have an attorney represent you. The compensation this attorney might be able to get for you could greatly surpass what you might otherwise receive. You might be able to successfully argue for a lesser amount without representation, but the attorney could potentially achieve a much larger settlement. (Keep in mind that many personal injury attorneys are paid by receiving a percentage of the award they are able to negotiate or argue for, meaning that you’ll only pay a large sum if they are able to get an even larger sum for you.)
Your Claim Hinges Upon a Particular Legal Rule
There may be a specific legal rule that is pertinent to your claim. Some of these technical rules — property law details as they pertain to public places, for example, or liability involving particular details in an employment contract — may call for an attorney’s eye and experience to be able to sort things out. The opinion and expertise of an experienced legal professional may be necessary to navigate some of these tricky waters.
Your Claim is More Complicated Than You Originally Thought
If your claim is even mildly complex, then there are more stumbling blocks in your path than you might have anticipated. It could be that the defendant’s ability to deny your claim is rooted in a slippery, obscure legal challenge. Or you may be having trouble making your experience or point of view heard and understood by the other party. Alternatively, the complexity of the claim may be such that pursuing a victory would cause you an undue amount of stress and anxiety. If you want to make the whole process easier on yourself, hiring an attorney might be a prudent move.
It’s never a bad idea to call on an experienced, reputable personal injury attorney in your area to help you with your claim. We have the expertise to cut through the complication and make sure that you get access to whatever compensation is fair and just in your situation. In many cases, personal injury lawyers are paid as a percentage of any payment you might receive, so it’s a low-risk proposition for you: we only make money by ensuring that you get the payment that is fair and right for you.