When You Need a Personal Injury Attorney
When you're injured by another party, in many cases you won't need to retain an attorney, because the party that injured you may have insurance that pays for your injuries, or the other party may compensate you directly. However, when the insurance company is slow or unwilling to pay or when the other party retains an attorney, it may be time to find a personal injury lawyer.
Personal injury attorneys are experienced in dealing with insurance companies and unwilling parties, and have intimate knowledge of complex legal procedures and laws. There are certain types of injuries which require an expert level of legal knowledge and experience. Even if the other party is willing to compensate you for your injuries, a personal injury attorney can provide invaluable information, such as whether the offer is fair and how much your case is really worth.
You should definitely find a personal injury lawyer if you suffer the following types of injuries:
- Medical Errors and Negligence
- Wrongful Death
- Toxic Exposure
- Disabling Injuries
- Severe Injuries
- Workplace Injuries
These types of injuries involve complex litigation and require extensive specialization to deal with defense attorneys. Dealing with these issues should not be done on your own. By doing so, you risk being taken advantage of and losing out on a potentially large award.
What Attorneys Can Do For You
Personal injury lawyers can negotiate with insurance carriers and defense attorneys to get the best compensation possible. In addition to the monetary aspects of retaining a lawyer, it just feels good to have someone in your corner who is willing to fight for you. When you're injured, even if you have the capacity to deal with the legal issues, you will probably not be in the right frame of mind to do so. Hiring an attorney can allow you to deal with your injuries rather than the injuries and the added headache of legal wrangling.
Cost
A vast majority of personal injury attorney work on a contingent fee basis, which means that you pay nothing out of pocket. Instead, the attorney gets a percentage (usually 33-40%) of any settlement or court award. Because the contingent fee arrangement typically means that you get at least a free consultation, it's a good idea to find a personal injury lawyer and at least get an evaluation of your case.
It costs you nothing and if you have a settlement offer from an insurance carrier or the injuring party in hand, you can compare it to what the personal injury attorney tells you the case is worth. Just be sure to subtract the attorney's fees from any estimate the lawyer gives you when calculating how much you may receive.
