If you have been injured, and the conditions that caused your injury were someone else’s responsibility, then you may have a potentially successful personal injury case. You never want to represent yourself in a personal injury case. Here are three reasons why you need a personal injury lawyer to help you:
1. A lawyer can establish the scene of the injury
The who, what, when, where, and how of the injury scene is the central piece of any personal injury case. A great personal injury lawyer has the tools and experience to present the situation clearly and in the right way. Your case may require photographs, diagrams of locations, and other evidence – possibly even forensic evidence. This isn’t a place for an amateur attempt – evidence that doesn’t clearly demonstrate the situation may end up being effectively worthless. Let an experienced personal injury attorney help you organize your evidence to support your claims.
2. A lawyer can help you with the cross-examination
Whomever your case is against, whether it’s a person or a company, you had best believe that person – or that company or entity – will have sophisticated legal assistance. Their lawyers will likely cross-examine you on the stand. A qualified lawyer on your side will help guide you through this intimidating process. If you represent yourself, you will also be in the situation of having to question witnesses on the other side – and this can be another stressful, intimidating experience where missteps can cost you. Injury attorneys have experience with these situations – they know which questions to ask, and they’ll keep their cool under the stress and pressure of the courtroom.
3. A personal injury lawyer knows what to ask for
Truth be told, this area of the law can be complicated, and personal injury lawyers are trained to handle the complexity. There are specific statutes which provide the basis for legal negligence. In addition, Ohio has developed decades worth of case law which also guides the legal framework. Your injury likely enters the domain of several different laws. Negligence can be a complex matter to prove. Therefore, it is best to have a law firm who has years worth of experience handling these matters.
It’s also nearly impossible for an average person without experience in personal injury law to know what a reasonable personal injury settlement would even look like. Do you know how to estimate your lifetime medical bills? What you will do if you exceed your lifetime insurance maximums, or one day need to change health insurance companies … now with a pre-existing condition? Do you know how to quantify your pain and suffering? Can you figure out how much work you’ll miss, over the course of your lifetime, due to the pain or complications from your injury? Experienced personal injury attorneys have experience answering these questions, and they know how to carefully examine a settlement offer to see if it really covers your interests.
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t try to fight this fight alone. Get an experienced personal injury law firm on your side. Here in Cincinnati, the lawyers of Clements, Taylor, Butkovich & Cohen, LPA, are here to help you. Give us a call for a free consultation.