In a personal injury case, the goal is for you to recover every dollar of compensation that you are due.
Ultimately, your money will come from the responsible party’s insurance company. They are a for-profit business, and they do not like to write checks. If they even offer you money, they are trying to settle your case for less than the full amount.
If you do not have a personal injury lawyer to protect you, it will cost you money. A personal injury attorney makes it their mission to stand up for you and maximize the amount of compensation you will receive.
There are two major phases in any personal injury case:
- You must prove that you have a legal entitlement to money because someone else’s wrongful actions caused your injuries.
- You must quantify your damages and negotiate a settlement for your injuries or persuade a jury of your damages.
Your Attorney Collects Evidence and Proves Negligence
Your personal injury attorney’s first job will be to build a compensation case. They aim to prove that someone else acted unreasonably under the circumstances. You need far more than just your word to persuade an insurance company to part with their money.
Even though your burden of proof is a preponderance of the evidence, insurance companies will be more discerning when deciding whether to accept liability in your case.
A personal injury attorney will work to gather evidence that can help prove your case. They are skilled in investigating accidents, and they know how to gather evidence.
On your own, you may have little idea how to collect evidence. Even if you had the proof in your possession, you may not know how to make a persuasive argument that someone else owes you money. A personal injury attorney tells the story of your accident and why the insurance company owes you money.
Your Attorney Helps You Learn the Value of Your Case
It is not enough to have proof of negligence. Your attorney must also quantify your damages before submitting a claim or a demand letter to the insurance company. You must seek a certain amount of compensation based on your injuries.
Many elements of your personal injury compensation are subjective. Insurance companies have knowledge and sophisticated technology that helps them know the value of your claim.
You need someone to level the playing field and give you the same knowledge, and that is where a personal injury lawyer comes into the picture. Your personal injury attorney can determine how much your case is worth, and they will use it as a starting point in settlement negotiations.
Your Personal Injury Lawyer Negotiates with the Insurance Company
You need a personal injury lawyer when discussing the actual compensation amount and negotiating the settlement you deserve. Even if the insurance company accepts liability, it is far from the end of your case.
Fighting to get the money you deserve can be even more difficult than proving liability or fending off allegations that you were partly to blame for the accident.
The insurance company is always going to make you low settlement offers. They will rarely show all of their cards at once. Instead, they will try to lowball you in settlement negotiations.
Without a personal injury lawyer, you may feel like you have to take what you are offered without any room to maneuver or negotiate. You have the legal right to full compensation, so this is far from the case.
Always talk to a skilled personal injury lawyer before speaking with the insurance company. Your attorney will know the worth of your case and can confidently reject a low settlement offer, continuing to negotiate until a fair settlement is reached.
A Personal Injury Lawyer May Instill Fear in the Insurance Company
The insurance company will not change their behavior unless they have something to fear. The presence of a personal injury lawyer in your case imparts that fear to the insurance company.
When they see a lawyer, they know someone will file a lawsuit on your behalf, if necessary. Insurance companies hate lawsuits with a passion. While they complain about litigation-happy plaintiffs’ attorneys, lawsuits would not even be necessary if the insurance company acted fairly and reasonably in the claims process.
When approached by an individual who files the claim, the insurance company likely sees dollar signs. They know that they will save a large amount of money that will build their own profits.
They will do everything in their power to ensure that the case ends as favorably as possible for them. If they pay you any money at all, it will be a fraction of what you could have received had you hired a personal injury attorney.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that you will save money without a personal injury attorney. Even though you are paying an attorney part of your settlement, the overall size of the check should still be larger, on average, than if you tried to represent yourself.
In fact, you may not even get a single dollar if you file your own claim because you may be unable to prove negligence in the first place.
You Do Not Pay Out of Pocket for Legal Help
The best thing about hiring a personal injury attorney is that it costs you nothing whatsoever upfront.
Sure, the fees and costs for your attorney will be paid out of your settlement if you win your case. Still, you are not taking any financial risk because you do not have to pay a lawyer anything for their time and services if you do not win your case. In the meantime, you are not sent any bills while your attorney works on your case.
Call A Skilled Personal Injury Lawyer Today
By seeking the guidance and experience of an attorney, you can maximize your chances of receiving fair and just compensation. Call a seasoned personal injury attorney today to get the help you need.