Why You Should Leave It To The Professionals
More people than ever before are jumping on the do-it-yourself bandwagon, mostly thanks to helpful videos on YouTube and the like. Unfortunately, this urge to skip the professional and take on projects yourself has led to accident victims thinking they don't need a personal injury lawyer to help them after a wreck. Read on to find out why an accident situation is no time to handle things on your own.
When Do You Need a Lawyer?
There are all types of car accidents and the degree of your injury should be an indicator of its seriousness. If you are hurt badly enough to be hospitalized, chances are you need legal support to help you get the compensation you deserve. If your injuries are minor and the fault is clear-cut and not in contention, you may not need to go beyond what the insurance company is offering to pay for your medical expenses and wrecked vehicle. Since most personal injury attorneys will review your case at no charge, you should gather your information and speak to one if you are unsure of what to do. If your medical expenses are quite high and you are suffering from some major injuries, trying to deal with an accident by yourself is unwise.
You May Not Understand Your Choices
Insurance companies can be extremely pushy when trying to close out a claim. They may offer you a settlement check that appears to be adequate, particularly given your current financial status. Unfortunately, it is in the insurance company's interest for you to accept the check and sign away any chance for what you might have been paid had you sought legal advice. You cannot undo your signature on a release so take things slowly and don't be pressured. You are under no obligation to accept anything or to even speak to the insurance company for the other side.
You May Not Be Saving Any Money
Almost all personal injury lawyers are paid on a contingency fee basis. That means you only owe money for legal services if you win your case. If you win, the lawyer is paid a percentage of your winnings as a fee. While that seems pretty fair to some, there are a few independent accident victims that might not want to pay an attorney their percentage of an insurance settlement so they try to negotiate with the insurance companies on their own. Unfortunately, there is a good reason why lawyers go to school for so many years and why they have civil law knowledge most people lack. The sad fact is that many of those that forgo professional help have no idea of what they could have been offered had they hired a professional.
Instead of doing it yourself, speak to a personal injury lawyer today.
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