While it is not compulsory to engage an attorney for your claims process, it will be too risky to handle a complex case on your own. When you are involved in a severe accident, the road to recovery is often long, demanding, and arduous. Adding a legal impasse to it can easily overwhelm you.
“It is crucial to involve a personal injury attorney when going through a severe accident. A reputable attorney can help bear the legal burden, allowing you to focus on healing. They know all applicable deadlines and how to meet them to ensure you file a valid claim,” says personal injury attorney Ryan Block of Block LLP Injury Law Firm.
This article explains seven reasons you should involve a personal injury lawyer in your complex cases:
Table of Contents
They Help to Navigate the Legal Terrain
When your accident involves multiple parties, it becomes challenging to identify the person(s) to hold liable for your injuries. There are various tort laws, procedural issues, and statutes guiding such cases, and you are expected to need a professional to walk you through them. When you miss out on anything, it can significantly affect your chances.
It is also risky to wait to involve an attorney when things are looking messy. Instead of waiting for things to get out of hand before contacting a personal injury attorney, it is advisable to involve them from the outset, as most personal injury cases are settled out of court.
You need someone who can help build a solid claim against multiple parties, religiously adhere to legal processes, and gather evidence to boost the credibility of your claim. Imagine undergoing all these processes without the guidance of a professional.
There is no gainsaying that the legal maze is complex. So, you need someone with the professional acumen to bear the weight for you. Personal injury lawyers are accustomed to this process and can provide you with significant assistance.
They Help in Interfacing with Insurance Firms
As mentioned earlier, most personal injury cases are resolved through settlement. Therefore, you require a skilled negotiator who can effectively interface with insurance companies. Insurers will deploy various techniques to reduce your payout, so you need someone who can match their tricks to secure adequate compensation.
If insurers discover that you do not have legal representation, they may even deny your claim. They prey on your vulnerability. However, a lawyer will not allow an insurance adjuster to take you for granted, as they understand insurance policies and the loopholes that the adjuster may be exploiting.
Your lawyer will prioritize your strongest interests by insisting on getting adequate compensation for your injuries and losses. Statistics show that victims with legal representation receive settlements that are more than three times higher than those without attorneys.
If you consider what you shall pay an attorney from this staggering amount, prepare not to deny yourself the opportunity to engage a legal representative. Your lawyer will take just a fraction of your settlement.
They Help to Analyze and Investigate Your Case
Before going to the negotiation table, it is essential to analyze your case to understand its strengths and weaknesses thoroughly. Doing this from a professional’s perspective will help you make an informed decision.
When you approach a personal injury attorney for an initial consultation, they will analyze your case to see if you have a valid claim. If the indices are positive, they will thoroughly investigate the case to know the perfect strategy for prosecuting it.
The investigations will help them gather evidence to demand maximum compensation. The evidence that they may use in supporting your claim includes medical records, missed work hours, police reports, eyewitness reports, and qualified witness statements.
They Help to Maximize Compensation
As emphasized in different aspects of this piece, when you engage a personal injury attorney, you increase your chances of recovering adequate compensation. Based on their experience handling similar cases, they understand the value of your case and will not settle for less than the standard.
When demanding compensation, your lawyer considers both present and anticipated expenses. They also include unforeseen needs and your non-economic losses to make the request comprehensive.
Claimants who involve attorneys in their car accident personal injury claims receive an average of $77,600, while those who prefer self-representation usually get an average of $17,600. Imagine the difference! Even if you pay your attorney 30 to 35 percent of the settlement, you can still imagine what is left.
They Help You Negotiate and Represent You in Court
You need a skilled negotiator during settlement discussions. A lawyer knows when to accept a settlement offer or press on. Your attorney will advocate for your top interests throughout the negotiations. When it seems the other party is unwilling to give the deserved compensation, they will consider the litigation option.
If you cannot settle with the insurer, you may file a lawsuit against them, allowing a judge or jury to decide the case. Litigation can be exhausting, demanding, complex, and overwhelming for a layperson. However, you can depend on your attorney to walk you through this challenging process.
They will help in gathering evidence, argue compellingly, and cross-examine the defendant’s witnesses. They will be strategic and persuasive during the litigation to tilt the outcome in your favor.
They Help You Meet Deadlines and Document Procedures
Whatever you want to do in the legal world, you must be conscious of deadlines. When you fail to take action before the deadline passes, no one will honor your request. Instead of bearing this burden with your injury, allow a personal injury attorney who knows the legal deadlines to be at the forefront.
Reputable attorneys are attentive to every aspect of your case. From the deadlines to documentation and adhering to procedures, your lawyer will keep their eye on every detail.
They Help to Preserve Your Rights
Advocacy is a significant role of attorneys. When representing you, a personal injury attorney will not allow the other party or their representative to take you for granted. They act proactively to ensure that other parties treat you fairly.
They also protect your future by securing fair compensation for you. They consider the potential long-term effects of the incident and devise ways to mitigate it. Ultimately, they do not allow you to walk through the lonely path.
An ideal personal injury attorney will prove their commitment to your well-being through their actions. They will go to whatever length to safeguard your future.
Concluding Remarks
It is risky to ignore legal representation when dealing with a complex personal injury case. It is like leaving your well-being and financial safety in the air. When you play by chance, the result is often abysmal; you must be intentional about what you want from every case.
Hence, once you are involved in a personal injury case, get yourself a local attorney who can help you through the process. You increase your chances of a positive result when you consult and hand over your case to a results-driven personal injury attorney.