If you were injured in a car accident or because of the actions of another person, you may have been told to consult a personal injury attorney. In fact, in most cases, it is to your advantage to have an attorney handle your case. Here are 5 top benefits of having a personal injury lawyer represent you.
1. A personal injury lawyer understands personal injury law.
It sounds obvious, but a lot of people think they know as much as lawyers, and that lawyers just take money. Obviously this is not true. Just because you’re injured doesn’t mean you’re entitled to full compensation. Few states recognize contributory negligence these days, but contributory negligence says you’re not entitled to compensation if you contributed even slightly to the crash. Most states recognize some form of comparative negligence, which allows you to recover at least some damages based on your involvement in the crash.
Another part of personal injury law is knowing which personal injury claims a person is entitled to. There are many possible claims, many of which a non-lawyer would not consider.
An attorney who understands personal injury law will benefit you because an insurance adjuster cannot BS or twist the law in an attempt to convince you that you will not receive the compensation you may actually be entitled to.
2. Personal injury attorneys know insurance law.
It may not sound like a big difference, but it can make a huge difference. For example, an insurance policy might provide a $20,000 benefit for an injured person. Adjusted insurance tells you he’ll give you the full $20,000 because you have a good personal injury claim. What the insurance adjuster doesn’t tell you is that there are a number of ways you can get more under state law. For example, some states allow “stacking” of policies under certain circumstances, which means you can receive more compensation.
A personal injury attorney would benefit from knowing if state law entitles you to more damages than appears to be the case.
3. Personal Injury Lawyers Know the Approximate Value of Injuries
An experienced attorney has handled many cases and knows the value of most injuries. Additionally, a personal injury attorney knows which facts may increase or decrease the amount of damages to which you are entitled. With the lawyer’s experience, insurance adjusters and lawyers can’t talk nonsense or misrepresent the value of a personal injury claim.
4. A personal injury attorney will appear in court.
Insurance adjusters know that if the case goes to court, insurance companies may be forced to pay much more than they are willing to pay. The mediator also knows that it will be difficult for you to appear in court if you represent yourself. They know that a personal injury lawyer will go to court. Therefore, adjusters must be more realistic about the personal injury compensation they offer you.
5. A personal injury attorney usually adds value to the case.
For basically all of the reasons above, an insurance adjuster pays more when a lawyer represents you. Some will tell you that increased damages can be offset by paying attorney fees. So what you end up with is the same amount. Sometimes this is true, but in many cases, due to his/her knowledge and experience, a personal injury attorney will win more than enough personal injury claims to offset the attorney’s fees.
I cannot and do not guarantee the experience or effectiveness of any personal injury attorney. The above is just a guide to what you might expect. Additionally, the outcome of any case may vary from attorney to attorney.
This is general information only. If you have any questions, please consult an attorney licensed in your state.
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