Cataclysmic events with severe injuries can change a person’s life in a split second. Whether it is head trauma caused by a car collision, a back injury caused by a wet floor, or medical mistakes caused by a misdiagnosis, the injured often face lengthy recovery periods with numerous challenges. This can include loss of income while out of work and enduring pain and suffering that may never fully heal.
Fortunately, the injured may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit if someone else was responsible for causing the injuries. The first step after seeking medical treatment is to discuss the details of the incident with a personal injury lawyer who specializes in these types of cases.
Important details to know
There is often a process to filing a lawsuit that takes time. The injured should be wary when the other party’s insurance company or representative seeks to resolve the matter quickly, and they should not agree to anything without first speaking to a lawyer that’s looking out for your best interests.
The benefits of hiring an attorney
There are many key benefits to working with an experienced personal injury attorney:
- No attorney fees unless there is a recovery: Personal injury attorneys often work on contingency, which means there are no attorney fees to the injured unless there is a recovery. The lawyer only gets paid if they win the case in court or secure a settlement for their client. They then get a percentage of the settlement or award.
- Experienced analysis: The key to winning a case is establishing that a third party was a fault for causing your injuries. A personal injury attorney can draw upon their experience to determine if a case is worth pursuing. This insight can help avoid the futility of pursuing an unwinnable case.
- Less red tape: There is a maze of paperwork, confusing legal procedures and medical information that are very difficult to navigate on your own. An attorney will be able to deal with all this paperwork for you.
- Building a case: Whether the case goes before a judge or settles out of court, your attorney can make the strongest case possible. This may include bringing in expert witnesses to analyze the evidence at a crash site or medical experts to detail the full extent of your injuries.
- Best possible results: Defendants and their insurance company will have a legal team focused on not paying large settlements. But a personal injury attorney, who’s working for you, not the insurance companies, understands how the legal system works and how to fight for you in court. They have the necessary tools to negotiate the best possible settlement for you based on similar injury cases in the past.
Offers peace of mind
Last but not least, attorneys can take care of the legal details of the case, leaving the injured to focus on their physical and mental recovery. They can fight to recover lost income due to the injuries, and potential future earnings if you can’t return to work or earn at the same income level. They can identify possible future medical expenses as well as the cost of ongoing care. And finally, they can highlight the pain and suffering endured by victims and their families.
The time to get a personal injury attorney on your side is sooner rather than later. If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can advise you on your options.