Many Americans are reluctant to hire a personal injury attorney. They worry about seeming “litigious.” The reality, though, is that hiring a personal injury attorney is about protecting yourself and making sure that you are properly compensated if someone else has hurt you in a way that results in some type of loss to you.
A personal injury lawyer knows exactly how to handle a variety of cases and situations. You can receive protection and justice in circumstances that might be a little out of your depth. Because the system is set up to favor those with specific knowledge (it’s not about being smart; it’s about having experience), you could find yourself with the short end of the stick without representation.
Here are 3 situations that require a personal injury attorney:
1. You Have Been Injured Through the Fault of Another
Injuries cost more than just hospital bills. When you are injured through the fault of another, there is a good chance that you have had to miss work in order to recover. That means lost wages. If you have been injured in a more permanent manner, you might be unable to return to your previous career. That will cost you for the rest of your life.
If someone has injured you, it’s important that you get the representation you need to recover the damages. Whether the income damage is temporary or permanent, you and your family need support. Your personal injury attorney can help ensure that you receive what’s fair in light of your specific situation.
2. The Insurance Company Won’t Pay (or won’t pay a fair amount)
Insurance companies are businesses. They want to make the biggest profit possible, and that doesn’t always happen if you receive a fair payout or settlement. It’s important to understand that an insurance company isn’t set up to work in the best interest of the injured party. Insurance companies have many tactics designed to put off payment, or avoid payment altogether.
Sometimes, even if you are offered a settlement, the insurance company doesn’t offer what is truly fair. If you aren’t represented by an experienced personal injury attorney, the insurance company will likely try to lowball you. If you don’t know what’s fair for your circumstance, you might be tempted to take the first offer that comes your way.
A good personal injury lawyer can force an insurance company to take you seriously, and it more likely to get you a fair settlement, and to get a payout if the insurance company is stonewalling.
3. You are Having Trouble Getting Your Benefits
Sometimes, after you have been injured, it’s difficult to get access to your disability benefits and other benefits. When you have been injured and you are entitled to certain benefits, a personal injury attorney can help you navigate the system. There is so much paperwork, and so many deadlines, and so many bureaucrats trying to prevent you getting what you deserve that it can become overwhelming. Your lawyer understands what needs to be done, and which forms need to be filed — and when they should be filed.
Hiring a personal injury attorney to help you with the system can take some of the pressure of you so that you have time to focus on other things, like healing. Any time you have questions about how to get what you need when you have been injured, it’s usually a good idea to contact a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney.
3 Situations that Require a Personal Injury Lawyer by James Sorrels
