Reasons to Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney

The fiberglass has barely dried on your cast when you are bombarded with requests and paperwork from doctors, law enforcement, and insurance companies. You’re confused and overwhelmed by all the questions about your accident. No one, however, seems able to provide the information most important to you. If you’ve been hurt in an accident, a personal injury attorney can help you with what to do next.

Here are ten reasons to hire an experienced personal injury attorney.

1. Experience Assessing Claims: Personal injury attorneys are experienced with cases like yours and can tell you at the beginning whether it is worth it to pursue legal action. If you are unlikely to win your case, you can avoid the time and expense of preparing for litigation.
2. No Fees if You Don't Recover: Most personal injury attorneys work for a contingency fee, which means that if you do not win your case, you will not pay attorneys' fees. You are, however, responsible for certain expenses not directly related to an attorney’s services, such as the fees doctors charge for reviewing your records or being interviewed.
3. Red Tape: Complicated legal procedures, confusing medical terms, and lots and lots of paperwork are common in personal injury cases. An experienced attorney can work through the maze of paperwork necessary to resolve your claim so that you can get on with your life. When you meet with an attorney, he or she will ask you to provide documents you have relating to your injury.
4. Investigative Team: Usually, attorneys work with a team of investigators who have experience in specialized areas and will skillfully examine the technical aspects of your case. You can help the investigative team by providing important information about your injury.
5. Objectivity: Anger, pain, frustration, and fear may impact your ability to see the facts clearly. An attorney can be more objective about your case than you and will not make a rash decision. For example, you may be tempted to go for a quick payout, but your attorney may advise you that it is in your best interests to wait for a more appropriate offer.
6. Alternative Dispute Resolution: Lengthy and complicated trials are not always necessary to resolve a case. An experienced attorney will know whether your case may be best worked out using alternative dispute resolution methods (ADR), thereby saving you time, money, and emotional energy. Common examples of ADR are mediation and arbitration.
7. Experience Working With Other Lawyers: An experienced personal injury lawyer can deal most effectively and quickly with the other side’s attorney. This is particularly important during the fact-finding part of the litigation when parties are required to exchange facts and documents.
8. Experience With Insurance Companies: Personal injury lawyers are used to working with insurance companies and will not be confused by their tactics or feel pressured to settle for an unsatisfactory amount.
9. Best Settlements: Many personal injury cases are resolved by a negotiated settlement instead of trial. Generally, a settlement means the plaintiff will give up the right to sue in exchange for a payment from the defendant or an insurance company. A personal injury attorney will negotiate a settlement on behalf of a client and try to resolve the case as early as possible.
10. Best Jury Verdicts: If a trial is necessary, a personal injury lawyer can zealously represent you in court and work toward achieving the best possible jury verdict in your favor. He or she will develop a legal strategy designed to help get you any and all compensation available for your injuries.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney Today

As you can see, a personal injury attorney may be critical to your claim. If you've been injured by the careless actions of another person, you should consider hiring a local personal injury attorney as soon as possible after the incident to protect your rights and recover any damages you may be entitled to receive.