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Many people ask whether they should hire a lawyer after they have suffered a personal injury.
The question should not be a matter of “whether”,” but it should be a matter of when.
If you try to deal with an insurance company on your own, you will end up with less money than you would have otherwise gotten, or no money at all.
Call the experienced Pensacola injury attorneys at Stevenson Klotz Injury Lawyers today to get justice and financial compensation when someone else has injured you.
A Personal Injury Lawyer Is Not a Legal Must
To be clear, there is no legal requirement that you need a lawyer to file a personal injury case. In practical terms, an experienced attorney is a must if you are seeking compensation for an accident.
There is a powerful apparatus that is devoted to keeping you from getting what you deserve when someone else has injured you. The insurance company has an army of adjusters backed by defense lawyers to pay you as little as possible.
Situations That Call for a Lawyer in a Personal Injury Case
There are numerous situations in which having an experienced lawyer is absolutely essential:
Liability is disputed
Two drivers involved in a car accident could mean two entirely different stories about what happened. Each driver may be convinced of their own truth, or one may not be telling the truth because they are afraid of the liability. If you have been injured in a fall, the property owner may deny that there was any dangerous condition, and they may claim that it was just an accident.
You need someone to tell your story effectively. If it is just your word without evidence to back it up, you will find that your claim is denied.
The other dispute about liability is how much of it you may bear for what happened. The insurance company may be partially blaming you, which would have the effect of reducing your financial compensation. Your attorney would stand up for you when you are being wrongfully blamed for the accident.
There is serious bodily injury
Serious bodily injury or death raises the stakes for a personal injury case. It is essential that you not only get money, but you get every dollar that you deserve. Your family needs the proceeds of the personal injury settlement.
You do not know how to value a personal injury claim without the help of an experienced attorney. Even though the concept should be clear, there are many nuances involved in personal injury damages.
For instance, you can be paid for future damages, but only if you can prove them. There are other aspects of your claim that are subjective, such as pain and suffering. An attorney knows how much these elements of your claim may be worth, and they can value them as part of your claim.
Multiple parties are involved in the accident
Assigning liability can be extremely complex when there are several parties involved in your accident. First, you may need to research as to who you may sue.
For example, if you have been injured in a slip and fall, you must sue the party who was in control of the property, which may not always be the owner. Second, you need to establish who was to blame for the accident. If you were involved in a multi–car accident, who the responsible driver is may not always be clear.
You could even sue more than one defendant in a case. An attorney would help you establish the proper defendant(s) in your case.
Your claim has been denied
Your claim will need to include proof that shows the other driver was responsible for what happened. Presumably, the claim would reflect the investigation that you have already done about the accident. The insurance company would review the evidence and make a determination about whether to offer you a settlement.
The insurance company does not get the only word about whether you are entitled to money. In the end, your legal rights would be definitively determined by a jury. If your claim has been denied, you can file a lawsuit against the driver in court. You need an attorney to present the strongest possible case.
The Worst Can Happen Without Legal Help
You should not wait for something to go wrong to hire a personal injury lawyer. If you try to approach the insurance company without a lawyer, in all likelihood, something will go wrong. For instance, if you approach the insurance company on your own, you may not have assembled a persuasive claim.
Then, the insurance company will not hesitate to deny your claim. Your outlook can be made worse by the fact that the insurance company has already formed an opinion about your case.
You would have no choice then but to fight them in court.
When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
The right time to hire a personal injury attorney is as soon as possible after your accident. There are many things that happen during the time right after your injury.
Some of them, such as the insurance company trying to pressure you, could make your case tougher if you do not have legal representation. It costs you nothing out of your pocket to hire an experienced lawyer, so you may as well do it as soon as possible.
Contact a Pensacola Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you have a potential personal injury case, you cannot afford to go without legal representation.
Otherwise, you would likely get less money, if you even get anything at all.
The hard-working personal injury attorneys at Stevenson Klotz Injury Lawyers will work to protect your rights and maximize your recovery. All it takes is a phone call to get the process started. You can arrange an initial consultation for your case by sending us a message through our website or calling us today at 850-444-0000.