If you have suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may want to consider hiring a personal injury lawyer. Determining if and when you need legal representation can be confusing. This article provides guidance on common situations when hiring a personal injury attorney is advisable.
You Have Suffered Significant Injuries
If you have suffered major injuries that require extensive medical treatment and result in large medical bills or lost wages from missing work, hiring a lawyer is likely in your best interests. Severe injuries like broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, or amputated limbs often warrant legal advocacy to pursue maximum compensation, which can run into the millions, depending on circumstances.
Car accidents are a leading cause of severe injuries, with around 30,000 traumatic amputations each year in the US. In the case of spinal cord injuries, around 33% of the 12,500 cases each year are caused by car accidents. In people aged 25-44, there were 4,310 TBI-related deaths due to motor vehicle crashes.
An attorney can build a strong claim if you have suffered a significant, life-changing injury by gathering evidence and hiring experts.
The Insurance Company is Not Cooperating Fairly
Insurance carriers are focused on minimizing payouts, not making huge settlements. If you feel the insurance provider is being difficult, delaying the process, trying to lowball you on a settlement offer, or denying a reasonable demand, a tenacious lawyer can stand up to the carrier. An attorney knows how to apply legal pressure and negotiate firmly for fair compensation.
You Don’t Have Time for Lengthy Demand Letters and Negotiations
Pursuing injury compensation independently through demand letters, gathering medical documentation, negotiating with insurance adjusters, and more is time-consuming. If you need to focus on healing and managing your career, hiring a lawyer lifts that administrative burden so you can concentrate on recovery. Attorneys have teams in place to handle the details of the claim.
You Deserve Compensation
If you feel the settlement offer you have received so far does not adequately cover your financial damages or the severity of your physical and emotional injuries, hiring a personal injury lawyer can potentially secure you a higher payout.
According to Justin Watkins, a Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorney, a lawyer has the leverage to continue negotiations until a satisfactory offer is reached. If a fair settlement remains elusive, attorneys possess the legal expertise to file a personal injury lawsuit requesting a judge or jury to award you with greater compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and punitive damages if gross negligence caused your accident and injuries.
With professional representation, your chances improve significantly in ultimately receiving full and just financial reparations. Settlement amounts vary, but in the case of a wrongful death suit, with the help of a lawyer, average payments can be anything from $500k to $1 million+.
The At-Fault Party Refuses to Pay
Sometimes, the negligent person or company that caused your injury refuses to pay or even acknowledge fault. A lawyer can send official correspondence establishing responsibility, make a credible threat to pursue court action and file a lawsuit if necessary to recover costs the liable party rightfully owes you.
Determining when to hire a personal injury lawyer depends on injury severity, insurance company cooperation, your available free time, and whether the at-fault party accepts responsibility. Lawyers advocate aggressively when circumstances warrant legal representation to recover a fair settlement or court award.
