Car Accidents

Why Hire an Attorney to Handle Your Personal Injury Claim?

In the aftermath of a vehicle accident, hiring a lawyer might be the last thing on your mind.

Instead, you’re busy thinking about the steps you need to take to get better. Whether suffered a physical injury or not, any kind of crash can take an emotional toll.

However, one of the smartest things you can do as you recover is to hire a great legal team to help you navigate your personal injury claim or car accident lawsuit. Today, we’re sharing a few reasons why this is a can’t-miss step that can make all the difference as you work toward health and healing.

Ready to learn more? Let’s get started!

1. Accurately Estimate the Value of Your Claim

If someone asked you how much money you believe you can get out of your personal injury claim, would you know the answer? While you might be able to find a personal injury calculator online, it’s never wise to go off those figures alone. In many cases, you could drastically overshoot or underestimate the value of your claim.

Then, when you speak with the insurance company, you have no idea whether or not the number they give you is anywhere near accurate.

On the other hand, a personal injury attorney has worked on plenty of cases similar to yours in the past. This expert is well-versed in the circumstances surrounding your claim and will be able to provide you with an accurate estimate of what it’s worth. Some of the unique factors that could play into your payout include:

Your specific injuries
Your degree of pain and suffering
The insurance company’s strategy
Your future medical needs

Keep in mind that the only real answer will come once the case is settled. However, you can still consult with your legal team to get a ballpark figure of what you should expect.

2. Navigate the Legal System with Ease

The legal system can seem like a foreign language, especially for those outside the industry. In addition to the tomes of documents, there’s jargon to learn, fine print to read and terms to comply with. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and confused, especially when you’re in the throes of recovering from a personal injury.

The worst part? The defense knows this. They’re expecting you to be unknowledgeable about the intricacies of personal injury court, so they can catch you in a mistake or confuse you to the point of exhaustion. They’ll highlight every error you make and try to use it against you to lower your claim or get the case thrown out completely.

When you team with an experienced attorney, you can rest assured that you’ll have a knowledgable guide by your side every step of the way.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with all of the legal procedures surrounding your claim, your lawyer isn’t. He or she handles these types of claims every day and can help you know which steps to take next. Your lawyer is also on hand to answer any questions you have at any point in the process.

Your personal injury attorney will know:

Which legal documents to file
When to file each document
How to properly complete every form
Information on all applicable statutes of limitations

One of the best parts?

Your attorney isn’t just an expert in the legal field. They’ve also gone head-to-head with insurance companies in the past and they know the kind of technicalities they’ll try to call you own. They’ll be your go-to resource to make sure you get treated with the respect and dignity you deserve.

3. Avoid Dealing with the Insurance Company Yourself

Sure, you could try to go up against the insurance company to get the settlement you believe you’re due. However, that battle could wind up being a laborious, lengthy and expensive one. Even then, the odds of it ending in your favor are slim.

This is why it pays to partner with a personal injury lawyer!

Your lawyer can communicate with the insurance company for you, so you don’t have to worry or stress about it as you heal. Insurance companies know they have more industry knowledge and bargaining power than the average solo claimant. They will often use this advantage to offer a settlement that could be far below what yours is worth.

Therefore, showing up with a legal team by your side is a powerful defense. Your lawyer can provide all of the details of your case in an informative and convincing way that holds ten times the weight and clout that an individual caller can render.

Another benefit that attornies can provide? Over time, they develop important local connections that could make all the difference in the outcome of your case. They can call on these credible professionals when it’s time to testify in court.

4. Gain Access to a Motivated and Informed Legal Expert

Most of the time, personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. In other words, they don’t get paid unless you do. That means they’re especially motivated to see you get as high of a payout as possible!

Many also offer free consultations with no strings attached, so you can hear their proposed approach and learn more about their team before making your final decision.

Once you decide to partner with one, your lawyer will use all of the resources at his or her disposal to win your case or settle it successfully. They’ll also expedite the process to the greatest extent possible to ensure that you have access to the time-sensitive funds you need to continue and complete your treatment.

One of the most important ways they do this is by listening to the details of your case with objective insight. Once they do so, they can help advise you on the proper steps to take, which might include:

Filing a claim with the insurance company
Taking legal action
Negotiating a settlement with the at-fault driver
Bringing your case to trial

As the injured party, you understandably have your own version of events, which can make your emotions get in the way of shrewd decisionmaking.

Your lawyer can assess the situation from a sound, objective opinion. This can lead to a case that’s more thoughtful, even-keeled and accurate than one that you’d put together on your own. These types of cases tend to do better in court, as they’re backed by concrete facts rather than emotional pleas.

5. Get Help Gathering Evidence

There are different types of evidence that you’ll need to prove liability in a personal injury claim. This is especially the case in a claim that centers on a car accident.

Ultimately, you’ll need to convince the jury that the other driver was to blame for the crash that occurred. A few of the ways you can do this include gathering the following types of data:

Police reports
State traffic laws
Information on no-doubt liability

No-doubt liability refers to an accident in which there is no disputing who was at fault. For instance, rear-end collisions are almost always considered no-doubt liability accidents. Your lawyer can take a look at your case to see if it falls into this category and if so, work to settle it as quickly and smoothly as possible.

In addition to the documentation listed above, your attorney can also help you gather witness reports, medical bills, information on lost wages, and other forms to help create a formidable case. Especially if the defense shows up to court with legal representation, you’ll want to make sure that your evidence is as clear-cut and informative as possible.

Call Us for Help with Your Personal Injury Claim

When you’ve been injured in an accident, you shouldn’t have even more stress on your shoulders. Filing a personal injury claim doesn’t have to be a burden.

In fact, it can be one of the smartest and proactive things you do to protect yourself and plan for your future.

Yet, it’s important not to do it alone. Teaming up with a personal injury attorney can improve your odds of a favorable outcome in court. It can also add weight, significance, and credibility to your side of the story.

When you’re ready to share the details of your case, we’re here to listen.

Our law office offers expert legal representation for people just like you, and we’d love to learn more about your situation.