It is impossible to describe every situation where a personal injury lawyer could help you. Every case is different, and you might find yourself in need of experienced legal counsel in some surprising situations.
You are never required to hire a personal injury lawyer after suffering an injury caused by another party. In some cases, the insurance process may properly compensate you without any need for assistance.
However, that is far from a given, and in some cases, being represented by a personal injury lawyer can mean the difference between getting the compensation you need to fully recover and getting nothing at all. Understanding how a personal injury attorney can help and when you should contact one is likely to increase the compensation you get from your personal injury claim.
The At-Fault Party Is Blaming You for the Accident
If the at-fault party has claimed that you are at fault for an accident, you should contact a personal injury lawyer right away. In Indiana, if you are even slightly responsible for your injuries, you will be unable to get compensation from another party. Ohio and Kentucky both allow you to receive some compensation when you are partially at fault, but it is reduced by the percentage you are at fault.
If an at-fault party is blaming you, they are trying to get away with avoiding any liability or reducing the value of their liability. An experienced lawyer will investigate and gather evidence that shows which party is truly to blame in the accident.
Your Claim Is Denied or the Settlement Offer Is Too Low
Insurance companies often can’t be trusted. They are corporate entities that make money by denying or undervaluing claims. If your claim is denied or you receive an offer that is too low to fully fund your recovery, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney right away.
Multiple Parties Are Involved
The more parties involved in an insurance claim, the more complicated the claim becomes. Even if the insurance company is acting in good faith, other parties may slow down the process or muddy the waters.
A good example of a personal injury claim involving multiple parties is a multi-vehicle accident. In this situation, every driver involved in the accident, even if they weren’t responsible, becomes part of the claim. The insurance companies will have to investigate the actions of every driver and determine fault concerning every claimant.
Even simpler accidents can have multiple parties involved. For example, in a truck accident, both the truck driver and the truck driver’s employer are liable parties. This extra layer of liability can create complicated scenarios that a lawyer is more likely to be able to navigate easily.
Your Injuries Are Serious
You don’t have to have serious injuries to hire a lawyer. However, if the insurance company unfairly denies your claim, even in a case involving minor injuries, you may want to hire a lawyer to protect your rights. When a case involves serious injuries, you should usually contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
Serious injuries create significant complications. For example, if you suffer a traumatic brain injury or some type of paralysis, the effects of that injury are likely to stay with you for the rest of your life. This could mean that you need a lifetime of medical treatment, and you may never be able to work in your job field again. These are significant financial consequences.
In cases like these, you can’t afford to get less compensation than the law allows. You may need millions of dollars to support a lifetime of disability. If an insurance company undervalues your claim by even a seemingly modest amount (like 20%), you could find yourself in financial straits later in life.
High-quality personal injury lawyers have experience handling cases involving serious injuries. They can accurately determine the true value of your case and present the type of evidence that is needed to prove that value.
What Do Personal Injury Lawyers Actually Do?
Besides calculating the value of your claim, personal injury attorneys can do three main things that you may have difficulty doing yourself: investigation, negotiation, and trial work.
Personal injury attorneys can better investigate your claim because of their knowledge and contacts. They know what types of evidence have the strongest impact and what procedures to use to get that evidence. Most lawyers also have connections with experts who can provide supportive testimony.
Most personal injury lawyers are also highly familiar with local insurance companies and their agents. This gives them an edge when negotiating for a fair settlement.
Finally, if your case goes to trial, your personal injury attorney knows how to convince a jury to support your case. The legal process is quite complicated, and trying to navigate it without a lawyer rarely ever succeeds.
Benefits of Working With a Personal Injury Lawyer
The biggest benefit of working with a personal injury lawyer is that they know how to handle every aspect of the process. They understand the timeline of the insurance and legal processes and will get ahead of any deadlines. Your attorney understands how mistakes can harm your claim and will focus on accuracy. They are prepared for potential obstacles and ready to immediately push through them.
Additionally, personal injury attorneys typically take cases on contingency. This means that, effectively, there is little to no cost to hiring one. If they successfully get you money, they will only take a percentage of that compensation as their fee. And if they fail to obtain money in your case, you will pay them nothing.
A Lawyer Can Help During Some of Life’s Most Challenging Moments
It is impossible to describe every situation where a personal injury lawyer could help you. Every case is different, and you might find yourself in need of experienced legal counsel in some surprising situations.
Just remember that even seemingly simple insurance claim processes involve a lot of bureaucracy. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the layers and procedures, a personal injury lawyer can probably help remove that stress. Additionally, by hiring a lawyer, you give yourself the best chance of recovering maximum compensation after an accident.
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