 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Ask a Lawyer About Personal InjuryIf you have been injured in an accident, you should hire a personal injury attorney to help you. This is one of the most common questions when people ask a lawyer about personal injury: Why do I need a personal injury attorney?Insurance companies are in business to make a profit. To do that, they need to keep their money. Insurance companies hire adjusters and attorneys to minimize the amount that they pay on claims. Those adjusters and attorneys are trained how to minimize payments to injured people. Most people who have been injured have not ever made a claim for personal injury. They are at a severe disadvantage against adjusters and attorneys who work to minimize payouts every day. If you have been involved in an accident, you might recognize some of the techniques that insurance companies use to minimize payouts. Insurers often like to take an injured person's recorded statement soon after an accident. Sometimes they do so even before you have had a chance to seek medical help, or while you are taking medication for your pain. You are under no obligation to provide a recorded statement to an insurer. If you do, it is likely to be used against you in the future. Another common technique to minimize the amount paid out is the "first call" settlement. When a claim is first reported, an adjuster makes an offer. If that offer is accepted prior to treatment, and prior to determining the extent of a person's injuries, it can still be binding on the injured person. An injured person should keep in mind that there is no penalty for getting the necessary treatment and waiting to settle a claim until all the information regarding that claim has been collected. More and more insurance companies today are using a strategy of delay and "low-ball" offers. They take that strategy hoping that they will be able to outlast the victim. The insurance company hopes that the injured person will eventually relent and take less than they deserve, because they don't feel that they will ever be able to get more. Don't give up! A personal injury attorney can help you. One of the first things that a personal injury attorney will do is inform the insurance company that you are represented. This puts a stop to the insurance company seeking early recorded statements and medical records from you that can be used against you later. The second thing that a personal injury attorney will do for you is document your claim. A good personal injury attorney will collect your medical records and identify witnesses who can talk about the severity of your injuries. A personal injury attorney will take steps to determine liability early on. That is, he or she will collect the police report and interview witnesses so that the information is preserved for the time that a demand can be made or when those witnesses need to be called for trial. The third and most important thing that a personal injury attorney can do for you is fight. Insurance companies spend enormous amounts of money fighting claims. A good personal injury attorney will take on the fight for you. Instead of settling for a "low-ball" offer, they will advise you what your case is really worth. They will take the steps to make that value a reality. If the insurer is never willing to pay the real value of a case, that attorney will file a lawsuit for you and take your case to arbitration or trial, where the evidence in your case will be presented, and a decision will be made by an impartial arbitrator, judge, or jury. An experienced personal injury lawyer will both protect you and will maximize the value of your claim. The sooner you hire one after an accident, the sooner that lawyer can benefit you. WE WILL FIGHT FOR YOU! Ask a lawyer about personal injury now. |
