5 Benefits of Having a Personal Injury Lawyer Represent You
If you have been injured in a car accident or injured by the actions of another person, you have probably been told that you need to speak with a personal injury lawyer. In fact, in most cases, it is in your best interest to have an attorney handle your case. Here are 5 benefits of having a personal injury lawyer represent you.
1. Personal injury attorneys know personal injury law.
This may sound obvious, but many people think that they know as much as a lawyer and that a lawyer only charges money. That is simply not true. Just because you have been injured does not mean that you are entitled to full compensation for your injuries. Few states recognize contributory negligence today, but contributory negligence says that if you contributed even slightly to a car accident, you are not entitled to compensation. Most states recognize some form of comparative negligence that allows you to receive at least some compensation for your injuries depending on your involvement in the car accident.
Another part of personal injury law is knowing what personal injury claims a person is entitled to. There are many possible claims, many of which a non-lawyer would not consider.
You benefit from the lawyer knowing personal injury law in that an insurance adjuster cannot BS or misrepresent the law by trying to convince you that you will not receive the compensation to which you may actually be entitled.
2. A personal injury attorney knows insurance law.
This may sound like it doesn’t make a difference, but it can make a dramatic difference. For example, an insurance policy may provide a benefit of $20,000 to an injured person. Adjusted insurance tells you that it will give you the full $20,000 since you have a good personal injury claim. What the insurance adjuster doesn’t tell you is that there may be ways under state law that you can receive more. For example, some states allow “stacking” of insurance policies in certain circumstances and this means that you may receive more compensation.
You benefit from a personal injury attorney knowing whether state law entitles you to more than apparent compensation for your injuries.
3. Personal Injury Lawyers Know Approximate Values of Injuries
Experienced attorneys have handled a number of cases and have a good idea of what most injuries are worth. Additionally, personal injury lawyers know what facts can increase or decrease the amount of compensation to which you are entitled. By virtue of the attorneys’ experience, insurance adjusters and attorneys cannot mislead or misrepresent the value of a personal injury claim.
4. A personal injury attorney will go to court.
Insurance adjusters know that if a case goes to court, the insurance company could be forced to pay much more than it wants to pay. Adjusters also know that if you are representing yourself, it will be difficult for you to go to court. They know that a personal injury lawyer will go to court. Therefore, adjusters need to be more realistic in what they offer you as compensation for your personal injuries.
5. Personal injury lawyers generally increase the value of a case.
Basically, for all of the reasons mentioned above, insurance adjusters will offer more compensation when you are represented by an attorney. Some people will tell you that the increased amount of compensation is offset by a lawyer’s fee. So you end up with the same amount at the end. Sometimes that is true, but in many cases, due to her knowledge and experience, a personal injury attorney will recover more than enough for your personal injury claims to offset the attorney’s fees.
I cannot and do not want the experience or effectiveness of any personal injury lawyer. The above is merely a guide to what you can expect. Also, the results of any case can vary from attorney to attorney.
This is general information only. If you have any questions, talk to an attorney licensed in your state.
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