Even a minor accident can be a huge disruption to a person’s life. We are all busy enough as is without dealing with the physical and financial burdens of an injury. And, if an accident was serious, it can be even more difficult to return to our normal day-to-day lives.
Righting these wrongs is the main reason that people turn to a personal injury accident lawyer. These professionals understand the ins and outs of personal injury cases and are well equipped to get victims the compensation they rightfully deserve.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you might be thinking of hiring an attorney to represent you. But what exactly can an attorney do and not do? Why do you need one? Read on, and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.
Understanding Personal Injury Cases
When many people think of a personal injury case, they probably picture a courtroom of some sort. But most personal injury cases are actually settled outside of the courtroom, in negotiations between a victim and an insurance company.
Insurance companies play a big role in these types of legal situations. In most cases, no matter what type of accident is being discussed, the person responsible will have some kind of insurance taken out to help cover them in this particular case.
That might be homeowner’s insurance, car insurance, so forth. There’s also insurance on the victim’s side to consider, like health insurance. What do all these insurance companies have in common?
They don’t like losing money.
Negotiating with insurance companies can be very difficult. In many cases, an insurance company will attempt to offer a victim a settlement that is far below the amount of money they truly deserve. It requires someone with a lot of knowledge to fight back against tactics by the insurance companies.
An experienced attorney will be able to evaluate the true value of a client’s case. They will be able to determine what evidence is needed to prove that value in negotiations. And they will know how best to handle an insurance companies lawyers thanks to past experiences with similar cases.
They are familiar with insurance company tactics such as low-balling an initial offer, and won’t allow you to fall for such tricks.
What to Expect From an Injury Attorney
There a lot of different injury attorneys out there with varying degrees of skill and specialization. Some have more focused lines of work, such as those who hone in on car accident lawsuit compensation.
No matter what your attorney does, you should be able to expect a certain level of responsibility and care from them. That doesn’t mean they must be in constant communication with you, but if you do reach out, you should receive a prompt and quick answer to your questions.
A personal injury attorney will likely spend a lot of the initial time on your case trying to understand all the details. You will walk through the case, maybe multiple times, until the attorney feels like they really understand the ins and outs.
Then the attorney will go through the long process of gathering evidence. This can be through police reports, witness statements, footage and pictures from the scene of the accident, and other such methods. They will need from you reports from a medical professional, detailing the extent of your injuries and linking them to the accident.
This is the kind of hard and fast proof you need in order to succeed against the well-trained lawyers from an insurance company. You will also need to provide copies of your medical bills, as these will be hard evidence towards the level of compensation that you deserve.
Your attorney will also be responsible for contacting and negotiating with the insurance company. While they will keep you abreast of these negotiations, you do not need to be directly involved. An attorney will fight to get you the level of compensation that you deserve.
Payment Regarding Personal Injury Attorneys
The required payment for your personal injury attorney may vary depending on the attorney in question and the specifics of your case. In most situations, you won’t be required to pay an attorney upfront.
Instead, if they believe they can win your case, they will ask you to simply sign a retainer. A retainer is an agreement that details your relationship with the attorney and your agreement in allowing them to come on to the case.
If the case is successful and you obtain the intended payout from the insurance company, then the attorney will be paid from this new sum. That means fear of payment doesn’t have to stop you from hiring an attorney for your own personal injury case.
If the settlement is lower than expected, or if for some reason no money comes in at all, you will be liable to pay the attorney’s fees on your own. Most attorneys will be upfront about the odds of you winning your case and the kind of compensation you can expect. This way you can plan accordingly.
Hiring a Personal Injury Accident Lawyer
Accidents can be frightening and life-altering in the worst kind of way. Medical bills can pile up and the impact of one’s pain and suffering can ruin their enjoyment of the day-to-day joys of life.
If you’ve been injured, it’s essential that you hire a personal injury accident lawyer to take on your case. It’s the only way to ensure you’ll get the compensation that you rightfully deserve.
Have more questions about money and compensation? Check out our financials page for more.
