DIY or Do I Need Questions
Do I really need a personal injury attorney?
The short answer is YES! The old English proverb “A man who represents himself has a fool for a client,” could not be truer. There is no requirement or law that says you must have a personal injury attorney following an accident. You can certainly try to handle the matter by yourself. But this is far from a good idea.
You will be faced by seasoned insurance adjusters and experienced defense attorneys whose sole mission is to pay you as little as possible for your injuries and damages. Litigation is a minefield. There are so many elements of a personal injury case, from the claims process to documenting your medical care, from obtaining witness statements and other evidence to filing the necessary pleadings and complying with the orders of the courts, that knowledge and expertise are necessary to obtain a reasonable outcome. If you were to show up in court without a lawyer, the judge would do everything in her power to convince you to get one.
While every case is unique, personal injury attorneys offer guidance, skill, and experience in handling cases just like yours. We do this day in, day out and have been practicing in this field for many, many years. We know what it takes to win, what it takes to effectively represent you and how to help you maximize your recovery.
Is it worth getting a lawyer for a car accident?
Yes, because you have nothing to lose. Personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning you only pay us a portion of the recovery made on your case if we are successful. In other words, no recovery, no fee. In the very rare circumstance where we do not recover for you, you owe us nothing!
After a car crash, many things must be done. Claims need to be opened with both your and the other driver’s insurance company. You must get your car appraised and repaired. You need to obtain certified copies of the applicable insurance policies, gather physical evidence and talk to potential witnesses. Then comes finding quality medical care, undergoing the necessary treatments and making sure that the doctors are properly paid. That just takes us through the first 30 days after your crash!
A personal injury attorney helps streamline the process for you and navigates you through this difficult time. Later on, we advocate and fight for you, working to get you the compensation you deserve. We understand all the potential pitfalls, the arguments insurance companies and defense attorneys make and how to best present your case in the courtroom.
Can I fire my attorney and hire a new one?
As the victim of an accident or injury, you of course have the right to choose counsel. You can hire or fire your attorney at any time. The hiring of an attorney is an important decision. You only have one chance to make a claim after an accident. You should have someone fighting for your rights whom you believe in, whom you trust and whom you feel cares about you.
If you ever feel that your attorney is no longer the right fit for you, that he does not have your best interests at heart or perhaps you simply want a second set of eyes to look at your case, you have that fundamental right.
What does a personal injury attorney do?
A personal injury attorney wears many different hats and plays many different roles. In its simplest form, we help our clients receive full and fair compensation for the harms and losses they have experienced through the wrongdoing of others.
We are the voice for our clients in the courtroom, telling their story and demonstrating how the injuries they have suffered has impacted them and changed their lives. We see people at their worst: hurt, in pain, out of work, struggling to figure out how or where to take the next step. Sometimes we see families after the death or incapacitation of a loved one. We understand their pain, and offer guidance, counsel, advice, and a shoulder to lean upon. We can also help injured people find quality medical care that they otherwise may not be able to get. As important, we help our clients understand their injuries and how those injuries may affect them in the future, so that they can prepare emotionally while we seek to get them the compensation they will need.
At the same time, we are fierce advocates, fighting with defense attorneys and insurance companies and their unlimited resources, to get our clients the recovery they deserve. On a broader level, we fight for social change and corporate responsibility, as well as laws that protect the people from corporate greed and cost-cutting that hurts all of us. Were it not for the efforts of personal injury attorneys, millions more people would die from smoking, lack of airbags, and hundreds of other dangerous practices and defective products.