Knowing when to hire a personal injury lawyer is not as cut-and-dry as you might think, nor are the laws regarding personal injuries. When you have been injured in an accident, as the result of negligence, or as an act of wrongdoing in some capacity, getting legal aid can help you fight for your case in court.
Not all personal injury cases require that you have a lawyer helping you out. Still, having someone with legal expertise there to answer your questions and guide you through the process can alleviate a lot of the stress that a situation like this can bring.
You’re Being Blamed for Causing Your Injury
One situation in which you should absolutely get a personal injury attorney on your side is if you are being blamed for causing your injury.
Even if the other party’s insurance company accepts liability, they could turn around and claim that you helped cause your injury. That means you could be considered partly at fault for whatever happened even if that is not really the case.
Let’s say that you are found to be partially at fault for your automobile accident. This means the money you get from your claim could be slashed in half.
Why do insurance companies do this? Oftentimes, it is to lower the sum they need to pay to settle a claim. An attorney can help you fight this and prove you weren’t at all at fault.
The Liability is Being Disputed
Sticking with the car accident example, say that you cannot prove that the other driver is at fault for the wreck – and, therefore, your injuries.
In an accident, victims have to prove that the other party was negligent, committed an error, or otherwise is guilty of wrongdoing. You won’t get any compensation if you cannot provide proof.
Should the other party decide to dispute liability, you will need an attorney to investigate all claims. That way, they can determine how and why your injury happened, as well as who is ultimately liable.
Several Parties are Involved
If there are several parties involved in the case, you should hire a personal injury lawyer. This tends to happen a lot in cases of construction site accidents, medical malpractice, product liability claims, and multi-vehicle accidents.
There can often be complications and issues that arise when a case involves multiple parties since everyone will be arguing over who is responsible for your injuries. This means you end up engaged in a longer and more stressful legal battle.
The Other Party’s Insurance Company Won’t Compensate
If the other party’s insurance company refuses to compensate you, this is what is called acting in bad faith.
The insurance company might want to get out of paying you anything, and they will do things like drag out our claim so that the statute of limitations expires. That can cost you your entire right to file a lawsuit.
Also, if the insurance company refuses to pay a valid claim, never investigates a claim, or misrepresents the terms of an insurance policy, they are acting in bad faith.
When a lawyer is working on your case, these companies are less likely to behave in such a way.
You Endured a Traumatic Injury or Became Permanently Disabled
If your injuries are traumatic, leaving you permanently disabled, then you will require consistent medical care in the foreseeable future.
You might not ever be able to work again if the trauma is that severe. This means you will incur future damages, not just the ones you’ve already experienced.
Those future damages could amass up into thousands, perhaps even millions of dollars throughout the course of your life, varying based on factors like disability and age.
Economic, medical, and financial experts can be retained with the help of your attorney, and they will be able to place a more absolute value on those future damages. This can help you get a more optimized value to your claim.
A Government Entity is Involved in the Claim
If you’re suing a government entity over a personal injury, the process gets exponentially more difficult. In many instances, governments are protected against liability, although there are some exceptions to this rule.
Anyone injured in a bus, subway, or train accident could file a claim against the government, and it will have a shorter deadline than if you were to file other claims.
The other party will likely have their own legal team working to protect them from liability, meaning you will have a hard time fighting them in court.
Investigators, claims adjusters, and lawyers retained by their insurance company are probably not going to have your best interest at heart.
To even out the playing field, a personal injury lawyer will go to bat for you against this and help you prove your injury claim in the court of law. This lets you focus on recovering from your injury and rebuilding your life.
Conclusion
Hiring a personal injury lawyer is essential in situations where you are being blamed for causing your injury, the liability is being disputed, multiple parties are involved, the other party’s insurance company refuses to compensate, you have endured a traumatic injury or became permanently disabled, or a government entity is involved in the claim. A personal injury lawyer can protect your rights, navigate complex legal battles, advocate for fair treatment, assess future damages, and overcome challenges in cases against government entities. Their expertise and support can significantly increase your chances of a successful outcome.
