You should hire a personal injury lawyer whenever you suffer injuries and believe someone else was to blame.
One recent year saw almost 40 million emergency room visits for injuries. Injuries happen for numerous reasons, and negligence often plays a role.
Suffering an injury may have you considering pursuing justice and compensation through a personal injury claim. Fortunately, you don’t have to face your case alone, as a personal injury lawyer is the best person to handle your claim.
Before hiring legal representation, you may wonder, “when should I hire a personal injury attorney?” In short, you should hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, as time is of the essence.
You have a limited time to file a personal injury claim, and if your time expires, you may lose your right to seek financial recovery forever. Don’t risk losing your chance to get compensation for your injuries and losses—consult with a personal injury attorney right away.
What Is a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Personal injury is a unique area of law that helps victims after sustaining injuries caused by another. Injured parties can hold the responsible person accountable for their wrongdoing and seek financial recovery for their injuries and losses.
Personal injury lawsuits have many moving parts and require plenty of preparation to settle the case. Personal injury cases entail deciphering the cause of your accident, proving the liable party was negligent, and calculating the value of your case.
While all these critical tasks may seem daunting, a skilled personal injury attorney knows how to take on these responsibilities while building a solid case and pursuing the compensation you deserve.
Suffering an injury can affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally and leave you facing significant financial trouble due to mounting bills. A personal injury claim can get you closer to relieving some of the financial pressure, and a personal injury lawyer can help get you on the road to recovery.
You Should Hire You Personal Injury Attorney Soon After Suffering an Injury
Consulting with a personal injury attorney after an accident or suffering an injury usually isn’t at the very top of the to-do list, and it shouldn’t be. You should always seek medical attention and put your health and wellbeing at the forefront.
While speaking with a personal injury lawyer isn’t the first thing you do following an accident, make it a primary task immediately after treating your injuries. You must meet a strict deadline to file a personal injury claim.
A time clock begins to run on the date of your accident or the day you suffer an injury. Under the law, you have limited time to file a lawsuit. Therefore, it’s best to avoid wasting any time, as waiting too long to handle your personal injury case can result in losing your ability to receive financial recovery for your injuries and losses.
Because time is so important in personal injury cases, the sooner you meet with a personal injury lawyer after your accident or injury, the better. This gives your attorney the time they need to complete the necessary tasks for your case, including thoroughly investigating your claim and proving liability.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
There are endless reasons why you should hire a personal injury lawyer. Some of the most common reasons to have legal representation are listed below.
Personal Injury Attorneys Know How to Handle Your Case
While you may feel tempted to manage your personal injury claim, don’t.
Personal injury attorneys have experience in the area of personal injury law. They’re well-versed in the laws and procedures related to your case.
You will not know where to start if you have never had a personal injury case. Even if you are familiar with personal injury law, trying to represent yourself successfully can be a huge mistake. A personal injury lawyer knows how to handle your case, giving it the attention and dedication it deserves. Don’t waste time trying to take matters into your own hands – you need professional representation immediately.
Personal Injury Attorney Can Expedite the Process
A personal injury lawyer can assess and build your case much faster than you can for yourself.
When you manage your own personal injury case, you will not know the law and procedure as a lawyer will. Seeing as you don’t know how to handle a personal injury claim as well as an attorney, it can take quite some time for you to learn the ropes.
Because personal injury lawyers are so experienced, they know these cases like the back of their hands. They know how to get the job done without you needing to spend time worrying about the process.
Personal Injury Attorneys Can Achieve Better Results
Having a personal injury lawyer represent you can yield much better results than going unrepresented. Attorneys get better results for various reasons.
First and foremost, insurance companies respect attorneys and know not to mess with them. Insurers prey on injured victims representing themselves. They realize you don’t know how to handle your claim correctly. Therefore, insurance companies know victims who do not have lawyers usually settle for much less than they deserve.
Because a personal injury lawyer knows how to calculate the value of your case, they understand what your case is worth and what a favorable settlement will look like. They will never let you settle for less than what is fair for your case.
Personal Injury Attorneys Work on Contingency Fees
One of the main reasons injured victims fail to seek representation is the fear of costly legal services. Fortunately, most personal injury attorneys work on contingency.
When a lawyer works on a contingency fee basis, this eliminates any upfront costs for you. The lawyer pays all court and case-related fees, so you have no out-of-pocket costs. Then, after your case, your attorney takes a previously agreed-upon percentage to cover their legal expenses and gives you a check for the rest.
Not only does this fee arrangement help avoid initial costs for you, but it’s also risk-free. If your case ends unsuccessfully, you do not owe your lawyer anything for their legal services. If you don’t win, you don’t pay—simple as that.
Personal Injury Attorneys Give You Peace of Mind
Personal injury claims add to the already high stress you face from physical injury and medical expenses. Hiring a personal injury lawyer gives you invaluable peace of mind, letting you focus entirely on yourself and your physical recovery.
What to Look for in a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have never hired a personal injury attorney, you may not know where to begin or what to look for in an ideal lawyer. Below are some details and characteristics you should consider when finding the right personal injury attorney.
Knowledge and Experience
Before anything else, you want to ensure your lawyer has the knowledge needed to handle personal injury claims and has extensive experience.
While many believe a lawyer is a lawyer, that’s not the case. Do not allow just any lawyer to handle your personal injury case.
For example, an estate planning lawyer is highly unlikely to have the slightest idea of how to represent an injured client, as estate planning has nothing to do with personal injury.
Ensure any potential lawyer has good experience handling personal injury claims, particularly your specific type of injury case.
Additionally, it’s beneficial to hire a lawyer that has trial experience. While most personal injury cases settle outside the courtroom, there is always a chance your case may need to go to trial. If it does, you also want to ensure your personal injury lawyer has the skills to represent you inside the courtroom.
Good Communication
Establishing good communication with your personal injury lawyer can make all the difference.
Your attorney should feel comfortable checking in with you at certain times and contacting you periodically to give you updates on your case. Personal injury claims can take several months to conclude, so you’ll need to speak to your lawyer frequently to find out what’s happening.
Also, discuss the lawyer’s timeline for answering emails and returning phone calls. It can be frustrating when you contact your attorney and don’t hear back immediately. In many cases, your lawyer is not ignoring you – they’re just busy. It helps to know their policy regarding answering emails and voicemails. For instance, your attorney may require two business days to get back to you.
Understanding the personal injury attorney’s communication style can help set expectations.
Successful Track Record
It can make you feel confident knowing your chosen personal injury lawyer has a strong record of success in previous cases.
Many lawyers post some of their significant wins on their websites for potential clients to see. These figures do not represent what you can expect to receive, as no settlement amount is guaranteed. However, it can give you an idea of how dedicated that firm is to its clients and their success.
If an attorney’s settlement figures are not on their website, do not hesitate to ask them during your initial consultation. Personal injury attorneys are often willing to discuss some of their previous cases if it helps you.
Happy Clients
Similar to successful cases, it’s great to see a firm with content clients. Many firms’ websites have client reviews posted on their site, but otherwise, you can find reviews in other locations, like Google.
Reading through client reviews can give you a good idea of what to expect when working with a particular personal injury lawyer. Getting some insight is especially helpful when you do not get a personal recommendation from a trusted individual.
It can be scary and intimidating to put the future of your case in the hands of someone you don’t know. Reading through the experiences of some of the lawyer’s or law firm’s past clients can ease your mind and make you feel better about working with a specific personal injury attorney.
Strong Support Staff
Lawyers are incredible at what they do, but there are not enough hours in the day to do it all on their own. Therefore, personal injury attorneys rely heavily on their staff, including legal assistants and paralegals.
Establishing a relationship with the support staff helping your lawyer with your case can help. If your attorney cannot discuss something with you or provide a case update, you can rely on these individuals to help answer your questions.
When meeting with a potential personal injury lawyer for the first time, you can ask questions regarding support staff or other attorneys that may be helping with your case. That way, you may have the opportunity to meet them and form a connection with them early on.
Consult with a Personal Injury Attorney As Soon As Possible After Suffering an Injury
Personal Injury Attorney, Jacob D. Lawrence
It can feel as though you have plenty of time to begin working on your personal injury case, but time is not on your side. The hourglass flips over as soon as you experience your accident or suffer your injury. Every day you wait to consult with a lawyer, you’re losing time and the opportunity to begin working on your case.
When thinking about the first to-dos after your accident, you’ll want to put consulting with a personal injury lawyer toward the top. Always put your physical and mental health first, and when you’re ready and settled, speak with a personal injury attorney regarding your accident. The sooner you let your personal injury attorney work on your case, the closer you get to recovering the fair compensation you deserve for your injuries.