Getting injured as a result of someone else’s negligence can be a nightmare, but that’s all the more reason to hire a personal injury lawyer.
If you’re eligible for compensation for your injuries, it’s a good idea to file a personal injury claim. A good settlement can go a long way toward helping you as you recover and rebuild your life.
However, this is a complex process, and you’ll also have to deal with a powerful insurance company that will want to limit their liability as much as they can.
With this in mind, here are 6 reasons you’re really better off obtaining the services of a personal injury lawyer.
Reason 1): The Other Team Already Has Lawyers
When you’re filing a personal injury claim, you’ll most likely be going up against an insurance company. Depending on how you were injured, this may be an auto insurance company or a business liability insurance company.
Here’s the thing about insurance companies: they don’t like to pay out more than they have to, and they have lawyers to help them with that exact thing.
Since the other team already has legal representation, it is in your interest to retain the services of a personal injury lawyer.
It’s also a good idea to choose a highly-rated firm that serves only injured plaintiffs and does no business with insurance companies, such as Lampert & Walsh (LampertandWalsh.com).
2). The Best Ones Work on Contingency
When most people hear the words “hire a lawyer”, they’re likely to think it would be very expensive.
But here’s the thing about personal injury lawyers: the best ones work on a contingency fee basis.
Because the object of a personal injury claim is to get compensation, these firms can work for you with the agreement that they will only get paid a set percentage of any compensation you receive.
This also gives them an excellent incentive to do their best work and try to get you the largest compensation amount possible.
3). They’ll Make Sure You Get the Best Compensation Possible
Many insurance companies respond to personal injury claims with a time-tested tactic: they give a lowball figure and see if the plaintiff will accept it.
Insurance companies want to lowball you if they can: it’s cheaper for them.
A good personal injury lawyer will help you avoid lowball offers and get the compensation you deserve.
The truth is that calculating the worth of a personal injury claim is difficult. Many different factors will come into play when trying to figure out how much to ask for.
Your own situation will be unique, and you will want highly skilled, professional legal help to come up with a well-considered settlement figure.
Reason 4): They’ll Help You Build a Legal Case
Building a legal case is a professional skill, something attorneys are trained to do.
There are a lot of different aspects of building a case. Depending on what happened, it may involve talking to eyewitnesses and getting statements, reviewing police reports, even getting expert opinions from accident reconstruction specialists.
This is a lot to try to get through on your own, particularly if you have never built a legal case before. All things considered, it’s probably in your best interest to get a lawyer to help you handle it.
Reason 5): They Can Navigate Legal Complexities
Another thing to consider is that building a legal case and filing various documents is inherently complex.
You have to know not only the relevant laws and how to go about getting evidence, but also procedures for filing court documents.
There are a lot of things to know, and lawyers spend years of training and preparation learning to navigate the complex world of courtrooms and lawsuits.
If this isn’t your world, there’s no shame in obtaining the services of a personal injury lawyer to help you navigate it.
Reason 6): They Can Bring Your Case to Trial
If you are working with a personal injury lawyer, the smart money says you won’t need to go to court. By far the vast majority of these claims are settled by an agreement between the two parties without going to trial.
However, here’s an important thing to think about: having the option to go to trial is good leverage during the negotiation process.
The insurance company will almost certainly not want to go to trial. If you and your attorney reject their lowball offer, they’re likely to come back with a much more reasonable figure.
Having the option to go to trial if they aren’t willing to be reasonable, though, will be a good reason for them to try to make you happy. Also, if all else fails, you can exercise that option.
Conclusion
If you’ve been injured and it’s someone else’s fault, a good compensation package can help you as you work to get your life back together.
However, filing a personal injury claim is a complex process, and you’ll need to deal with a powerful insurance company eager to limit their liability.
As these 6 reasons show, it’s a good idea to obtain the services of a personal injury lawyer to help you get the best compensation you can.