In the US alone, over 700,000 personal injury cases are filed every year. This is a staggering figure, and it amounts to billions of dollars annually from over 80 million people that visit a doctor following an accident. A majority of these cases end up in minor injuries and bruises, but a significant number of them lead to substantial injuries.
The question is, how do you know which injuries warrant a claim? Even more important, when is the best time to hire an accident and injury attorney to help with the case? If you have recently been involved in an accident that resulted in injuries, you may be wondering whether you should or should not file a claim.
Accidents caused by the negligence of other people more often than not result in a lawsuit, and if you know you were injured due to someone else’s fault, you may need legal counsel.
In this post, we’ll address 7 signs that you need to hire an accident and injury attorney.
1. You Need Expert Advice
The fact that you’re searching for advice on whether you need to hire a personal injury attorney is reason enough to get one. A large number of people fail to file a claim despite having severe injuries because they feel they might not have a strong case. Others believe that the party at fault will offer compensation for what they did until they don’t.
Sometimes, you need expert advice because an attorney will assess the situation from a different perspective, and you may find that you have a strong case. Other times, you don’t even need to be physically injured to file a claim, and an accident and injury attorney will help you understand how, why, and when is the best time to file a claim.
Consulting with an attorney could be the reason why you get the compensation you deserve and peace of mind.
2. You Are Severely Injured from the Accident
Not all injuries would require you to hire a personal injury attorney because if it was minor, you could work out the legal and insurance claims by yourself. However, if you suffered severe injuries, it’s vital to hire a lawyer that will get you compensation enough to help you out. You see, severe injuries come with serious consequences, and you may be left with permanent damage that will affect you and your family for the rest of your life.
For instance, if you broke your leg, you may eventually heal from the injury, but there’s a possibility you’ll live with the after-effects of pain or have trouble walking for years to come. This will affect you in more ways than one because apart from pain, you may not be able to go back to work, which will result in lost wages and job opportunities.
Serious or permanent injuries could also leave you with recurring medical bills, even long after the accident. Without compensation, ongoing health issues could put a strain on your finances. For these reasons, you need to hire a personal injury attorney so you can get the compensation you so rightfully deserve.
3. If You’re Having a Hard Time Paying Your Medical Bills
Regardless of whether you’ll have long term medical problems or not, if you currently can’t pay for your medical issues, you undoubtedly need legal help. Once you were injured, you may not have been able to get back to work, and missed wages means you’re having a hard time handling all your expenses.
It’s only right that the party that caused the accident pays for the damages, right? Your insurance policy may not cover some treatments like physiotherapy, and this may leave you out in the cold. The easiest way to pay for those bills is by hiring an accident and personal injury attorney to fight for you and get you that compensation.
4. You’re Off Work With No Compensation
This is one of the worst things that could happen after an accident and a sign that you need to hire an accident and injury attorney. If your injuries are severe enough to keep you from going to work and you’re not being compensated for time lost, you need to get compensation for your losses.
Even if your insurance company covered a paid leave, you may run out of the allocated funds if you have complex injuries. For instance, if you slipped and fell at work and suffered a head injury, it may be a long time before you finally get better, and you’ll need constant medical care before that happens. In this case, you need to hire a professional personal injury firm such as Cogburn Law that will take up your case and help you out.
5. The Insurance Company Refuses to Compensate You
Most people make the mistake of assuming that insurance companies will take care of their personal injury cases. For instance, if you were to slip and fall in a store, you would expect that the store will be liable, and their insurance company will handle the claim. The thing is, a lot of insurance companies deny claims all the time, and they always have the most ruthless insurance adjusters.
Even if they don’t agree to pay, they may hold off that payment as long as they possibly can. If they discover you’re eligible for compensation from another company, they may reduce the amount. To avoid all this trouble, the best thing to do is hire an accident attorney and let them handle the insurance company.
6. You’re Getting an Unfair Settlement Offer
If so far, you have decided to face the situation on your own and have resulted in an unfair settlement, it’s time to call in the professionals. In all lawsuits, there’s always a chance that you could settle outside of court. This always seems like the most appealing option because you get the money and don’t waste any of it on a lawyer.
However, there’s a problem with that analogy because without a lawyer, more often than not, companies offer very unfair settlements. People who don’t know better, or those who want to avoid all the issues of going to court, agree.
However, “the settlement could be unfair to you. You may not see this when the adjuster and the other party’s legal professionals convince you that you don’t have a case,” says Lewis Banks, Senior Manager at LegalDrop.com. At times like these, having an attorney is indispensable because they will negotiate professionally and get you the compensation you deserve. At times like these, having an attorney is indispensable because they will negotiate professionally and get you the compensation you deserve.
7. Liability Is Not Clear
Sometimes, it’s not clear who’s at fault, especially in accidents involving multiple parties, such as car accidents. In this case, you need a professional attorney who knows where to look and what to look for to determine fault.
If you have no idea who’s at fault, it’s not reason enough for you to drop the case or even blame yourself. Having a professional by your side will help determine who was at fault and who needs to pay for compensation.
Hire the Best Accident and Injury Attorney Today
No one ever wants to be involved in an accident or to be injured, but unfortunately, such is the way of life. If you’re going through one or more of these cases, it’s advisable to consult an accident and injury attorney.
There’s no need to struggle with insurance companies that won’t cooperate or contend with huge medical bills you can’t cover. If you loved our post and would like to see more, please check out our other articles.