At some point in your life, you may get hurt while doing your everyday activities. Maybe you’re involved in a car accident, you get injured due to a store’s negligence, or you slip and fall on someone’s property. We don’t know when an accident could happen. But when it does, do you really need an attorney to help you?
Personal injury attorneys specialize in helping people who are injured because of an accident, whether it’s a slip, trip, fall, car accident, or something less common. If you’re injured due to some external factor away from home, you could use a personal injury attorney to handle your case.
However, not every injury calls for a personal injury attorney. In this post, we’ll talk about some reasons that you might need to find an attorney — as well as some situations where you may not need one.
You Were Injured in a Car Accident
If you are injured in a car accident, then hiring auto accident lawyers may help you get the maximum settlement offer from the insurance company. You could either be the driver or a passenger. Getting a settlement is meant to help with any medical bills, missed work, or pain and suffering.
Some victims who are familiar with auto insurance and the medical world may be able to handle a claim themselves. But this can be quite time-consuming. That’s why having an attorney work as your advocate makes the process far easier on your end and may result in a larger settlement for you.
You’re Not Very Hurt
Personal injury attorneys typically do not cost you anything out of your pocket. Most work on a contingency fee. That means whatever you win in your case, they take a portion of the settlement. If you don’t win anything, you don’t pay anything.
Perhaps you’ve suffered some minor injuries that haven’t affected your life or work. You may be able to get a settlement, but not a large one. And seeing as only 5% of personal injury cases go to trial, your settlement claim would most likely not require anything you couldn’t handle.
So a personal injury attorney taking 30-40% of your settlement could make a big dent in what you could have handled yourself!
The Insurance Company Won’t Accept Fault
If you are involved in an accident caused by another person (auto accident or general negligence), but their insurance company won’t accept fault, this is a problem for your settlement. In this case, you will need to prove the other party to be at fault.
If that’s the case, it’s best to hire an attorney who can argue your case for you.
You Caused the Accident
Perhaps you have a serious trip and fall on your own property, or you’re injured in a car accident caused by yourself. While you could be seriously injured, you’re unlikely to get a settlement for your pain and suffering.
Because your insurance company is unlikely to pay out for an accident caused by yourself, an attorney will not be able to help you.
Conclusion
Knowing whether your situation requires a personal injury attorney or not can be confusing. But if you’re seriously injured in an accident because of someone else, then hiring a personal injury attorney can help you get the settlement you deserve.
However, if you caused an injury to yourself, or you’re not very injured, then hiring an attorney may not be beneficial to your insurance claim.
In the end, hiring a personal injury attorney is a great way to save yourself the time and energy you would have to spend on your case without having to pay out of your own pocket. So that leaves you free to make the decision that’s best for you!
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Guest Author Bio
Trenton J. Smith
Trenton is an aspiring writer who loves to research and write about a wide variety of topics. When he is not writing, he enjoys gardening and long walks with his dog Boomer.
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