If you’ve been injured in an accident, your troubles may have just begun. You’ll face all types of inconveniences and spend considerable time worrying about how you’re going to care for yourself. Your finances will weigh heavily on your mind. An experienced attorney can help reduce some of this stress. Here are 6 benefits of hiring a personal injury attorney.
1.) Free Initial Consultations
Initial consultations are the best chance you have to find out if you have a good case. Fortunately, most attorneys don’t charge for this important service. While there is a good chance you’ll be asked to sign a contingency fee agreement, you can always say that you’d like to speak with other attorneys before making a final decision on who to hire.
Keep in mind that how your attorney behaves during this free consultation should provide you with a good indication of how your claim will be handled. If they seem rushed or don’t answer all of your questions, you should probably look for someone else. Preparing a list of questions beforehand gives the impression that you know what you’re looking for in an attorney.
2.) Experience in the Court System
Personal injury law is a vast and complicated field. Add to this the complexities of dealing with the court system and it makes perfect sense to have an experienced professional in your corner.
An attorney knows the ins and outs of the law. They know how the judicial system works and how to make it work for you, with regard to your claim.
3.) Experience Dealing With Insurance Companies
In addition to the court system, your claim will most likely involve dealing with insurance companies. Their primary objective is to keep their profits up by keeping their costs down. In other words, spending less on claims like yours.
Note that insurance companies are likely to discourage you from hiring an attorney, usually in subtle ways. They’ll attempt to convince you that they act responsibly and insist that they want the best for all parties involved. Unfortunately, their actual business practices are often aggressive and unfair. The best way to ensure that you’re not taken advantage of is to have someone fighting for you that’s familiar with their common strategies.
4.) Education and Knowledge
There’s a good chance you work in a field that’s far removed from personal injury law. Once you’re involved in an accident, you’re likely to receive all kinds of paperwork, bills, and letters that will be hard to make sense of.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help educate you about your claim and how to best proceed. They can even advise you on subjects like auto insurance coverage, so you’ll be better able to protect your family in the event of another accident.
5.) Increased Compensation
Statistically speaking, an attorney will be able to collect more from your case than you’d be able to claim on your own. Of course, they won’t be able to claim very much in a small case. However, a large case makes it possible for them to collect far more in damages. The insurance company that represents the at-fault party owes you as much money as it takes to make you whole again, in the eyes of the law.
Ensuring your proper compensation involves proving why your case is worth as much as you are claiming. You’ll require documentation for both special and general damages. If you’re not aware of all the factors that may entitle you to compensation, you’ll end up with less than you deserve.
6.) Improved Odds
Fighting insurance companies can be like going into battle. Without an attorney, you might as well be going into the fight without weapons or armor. Regardless of how prepared you might think you are, the insurance companies know far more than you do and they will use this to their advantage.
They will employ ruthless bargaining strategies to make sure they pay the lowest amount possible, with no regard for your well-being.
There are many reasons someone might consider hiring a personal injury attorney. The benefits listed above are just some of the most common ones. While you can’t avoid every accident scenario, it is possible to find a professional who will work hard to get you all the compensation to which you are entitled.
