Is it worth it to get a personal injury lawyer to represent you?
Can you claim and get more compensation if you hire one?
This article will discuss a commonly asked question: Will you receive more if you get legal representation in your personal injury claim?
Is It Worth the Money to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Whether you got into a car accident or slipped at the supermarket, you can file a personal injury case to recover compensation for damages.
But filing this lawsuit can be a tricky thing.
For people unfamiliar with the law and court procedure, it can be easy to lose out on compensation. Not because they’re not entitled to it but because they don’t know how to present their case properly.
If you suffered physical injuries and incurred medical costs, it’s best to hire a personal injury lawyer. His skills, training, and familiarity with the law can achieve the desired result—to obtain fair and reasonable compensation.
So is it worth it to hire a personal injury lawyer?
Definitely yes!
No doubt, getting legal representation is a worthy investment and a necessary one at that.
Having a Personal Injury Lawyer Affects the Outcome of a Lawsuit
Did you know you’re likely to have a successful outcome in your personal injury case if you hire a lawyer?
Certain surveys show that people who pursued a personal injury lawsuit with a lawyer were in for a more protracted case. On average, it takes around 15 months from the beginning to the end.
For people without lawyers, their cases reached finality in just seven months.
So what does that mean?
If you want a better outcome, you’ll have to be willing to turn down an initial settlement offer. Instead, fight for better compensation.
But to improve your fighting chances, you need to hire a personal injury lawyer.
You may be wondering why you should turn down the first settlement offer.
The longer the timeline of recovering your claim, the more significant injuries may emerge. So even if you started with a few muscle aches, you could feel more pain in the next couple of days or weeks. This is especially true in a major car collision, where some injuries become apparent later.
With more injuries emerging comes the need for more medical treatment.
If you accepted the first settlement offer, chances are you can no longer get more amounts to help you recoup the cost of the subsequent medical treatments.
Higher Satisfaction with the Outcome of the Case
According to certain surveys, people with legal representation have a higher satisfaction level.
Represented parties are more than twice as likely to be happy with the result of their case compared to unrepresented claimants.
The satisfaction is primarily due to taking home more money in a settlement. However, the settlement may take some time because of the lengthy court process. Also, the claimants have to share some of the settlement money as their lawyers’ fees.
Based on these findings, having legal representation increases the likelihood of getting better compensation in a personal injury case.
Contingency Fee Arrangement with Your Personal Injury Lawyer
There’s a common misconception that lawyers will only work on your case when you make the initial payment. That is not entirely true.
Did you know some lawyers work on a contingency fee basis?
This means their fees are contingent on your settlement or court award.
In personal injury cases, this is standard practice. You don’t have to pay upfront. So you don’t have to worry about gathering enough funds before you can seek legal representation.
The usual charge is between 25 and 40 percent of what the clients receive in their settlement. Some lawyers may agree on a different rate after considering the financial risk and extraneous costs they will incur.
Pro Se Plaintiff vs. Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
Some plaintiffs may decide to represent themselves in court. While this is permissible, they must adhere to court procedures as lawyers would.
The benefit to representing oneself is you get to keep all of the awards you get. You don’t have to pay attorney’s fees because you don’t have one.
But is it worth it to risk your case?
Failure to adhere to court procedure is likely, considering laypeople are not versed in the law. Meeting the procedural requirements may result in losing the case.
Would you want to gamble on that?
This is why hiring a personal injury attorney is the better option.
Attorneys spend years in law school and pass rigorous exams as requirements before becoming eligible to practice law. The requirements are strict because laws and rules are complicated; hence, practicing law requires proficiency.
It’s not worth the risk to lose your right to seek compensation for damages to save on attorney’s fees.
Experience and multiple studies show higher success rates and better satisfaction for those seeking legal representation than those who opted to become pro se plaintiffs.
Top 5 Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Did you know represented plaintiffs get three times more money in settlements than unrepresented ones?
That conclusion came from a study published by the Insurance Research Council.
In addition, the same study mentioned that 85 percent of all plaintiffs in personal injury claims who obtained a favorable settlement have legal representation.
By now, it should be pretty convincing that hiring a personal injury attorney can be advantageous in pursuing a claim for damages.
Here are other reasons to let a personal injury lawyer handle your case.
1. Interaction with the insurance provider
What would be your priority after getting injuries in an auto accident?
Ideally, it would help if you focused on your physical and mental health. The accident’s impact isn’t just limited to bruises and broken bones. It can also drain you emotionally and financially.
With little energy to work with, would you still want to deal with insurance issues?
A personal injury attorney can help you deal with the insurance providers. He will represent your interests and pursue your claim, making it easier for you.
That way, you can focus on recuperating instead of talking with the insurance company and possibly being pressured into accepting an inadequate settlement amount.
2. Establishing the erring driver’s liability
In a car accident case, proving who is at fault can be highly contentious. The natural reaction of the other driver would be to deny responsibility so he won’t be liable to pay for damages.
Proving liability is a challenging undertaking, even for lawyers. There are many complicated variables to consider. Can you imagine laypersons doing this specific undertaking? With legal training and familiarity, it can be easier.
A competent car accident attorney understands the process of proving liability and establishing your right to recover damages.
If the need to go to court arises, it is best to have a lawyer to represent you. He can help you navigate the requirements and procedures to ensure the court and jury appreciate your side of the story.
3. Establishing the right to recover damages
Another complicated aspect of personal injury litigation is proving the right to receive compensation for damages.
Personal injury lawyers understand what it takes to prove liability and recover damages. While it seems easy on paper, this process is quite challenging. It involves extensive investigation and presentation of evidence before the court.
To recover damages, you must also present proof that you struggled with pain due to your sustained injuries. In addition, you must show medical expenses and loss of earning capacity to get remuneration.
It takes an in-depth understanding and familiarity to assert them in court. With the proper and timely presentation of facts and evidence, you can maximize your chances of recovery for damages.
4. Negotiating a fair settlement
Personal injury cases aren’t all about contentious litigation. Sometimes, the process ends in a settlement.
But what happens in working a settlement is just as equally challenging. It would help if you were aggressive in asserting your right to fair compensation.
A personal injury attorney can work his way through the process so you can obtain a favorable settlement. He knows how to deal with insurance providers who tend to hold back on giving you fair compensation.
5. Willing to bring the case to the court
Of course, when things don’t go well on the negotiation level, you will have no choice but to pursue a personal injury claim in court.
Be sure to have a personal injury lawyer willing and able to pursue a formal lawsuit.
Are You Considering Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
You’re probably reluctant to hire an attorney because you only sustained minor bruises from the accident. Or you thought you could negotiate effectively with the insurance provider. Or manage your lawsuit.
But what if your minor injuries worsen and turn into major ones? What if the insurance company won’t give in to your demand for compensation? And you realized representing yourself in your personal injury claim is difficult.
Pursuing a personal injury claim is not a walk in the park. It can be overwhelming.
You need an advocate.
Get compassionate legal representation from the Morgan Legal Group. We will fight for your right to receive fair and adequate compensation for your injuries.