When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

December 26, 2024 | By Lewis Law
When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

You need to know when to hire a personal injury lawyer following an accident for many reasons. First, legal statutes of limitations govern personal injury claim timelines. You must meet these deadlines with adequate paperwork to obtain a financial settlement for your losses.

Additionally, navigating the legal process and negotiating with insurance companies can be taxing on everyday citizens unfamiliar with these proceedings. If you are a personal injury victim, consult a lawyer to determine a legal strategy for recovering compensation.

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When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer After an Accident

Many reasons to hire a personal injury lawyer after an accident include sustaining severe injuries, suffering income losses, unclear or disputed liability, and multiple liable parties.

You Sustained Serious Injuries in Your Accident

Accidental injury victims should hire a personal injury lawyer right away. They are educated and qualified to represent your legal rights in a complicated system where unrepresented injury victims struggle to secure similar results.

You should not absorb the costs of medical expenses, rehabilitation bills, and other financial losses incurred in your accident when it wasn't your fault. After valuing your claim, a personal injury lawyer will send a demand letter for compensation to liable insurers.

You Suffered Income Losses

Calculating your income losses is a key part of filing a personal injury claim. 

Depending on state jurisdiction and the severity of your injuries, income losses may include:

  • Hourly wages or annual salary
  • Commission and tips
  • Bonuses and raises
  • Vacation time
  • Healthcare and retirement benefits 
  • Sick leave 
  • Paid time off and vacation days
  • Lost job opportunities and promotions

If your injuries prevent you from making money that you should have earned but for the accident, you may factor in your diminished earning capacity. Your personal injury attorney will calculate this loss by considering your education, training, profession, work history, and age.

Liability Is Unclear or Disputed

Personal injury victims must prove the at-fault party's negligence or wrongdoing resulted in injuries and damages. The insurance company can deny your claim if you cannot prove the elements of negligence (an owed duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages suffered).

Unrepresented injury victims may recover undervalued or denied compensation—especially when a liable insurer disputes liability. Your personal injury lawyer will investigate your case to pinpoint and prove liability on your behalf. It’s a significant part of their services.

There Are Multiple Liable Parties

Injury victims in accidents involving multiple parties should always hire a personal injury lawyer to represent them. Multiple liable parties typically means negotiating with multiple insurers. This complicated process involves a back-and-forth exchange until agreeing on fair terms.

The insurance companies will negate liability onto each other, and having a personal injury attorney assume that responsibility relieves you from the burden. They will thoroughly investigate all liable parties to maximize your compensation for financial losses and pain and suffering incurred in your accident.

Types of Personal Injury Claims 

In recent years, accidents have caused around 63 million injuries and over 227,000 preventable deaths annually.

Common personal injury cases include:

Wrongful death is another claim type that falls under the umbrella of when to hire a personal injury attorney. If your family suffered the tragic loss of a loved one due to the negligence of another, consult an attorney to discuss recovering compensation for economic damages and your pain and suffering.

How Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help Secure a Settlement

A personal injury lawyer generally recovers significantly higher settlements.

A personal injury lawyer will protect you against liable insurance companies, grant access to their network of experts, provide a thorough investigation into your case, comprise a comprehensive valuation of your damages, negotiate with liable parties, and represent you in court (if necessary).

Related article: How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer for You

Protection Against Liable Insurance Companies

Having legal protection from liable insurance companies and their bad-faith tactics is a considerable benefit. Insurers often delay and deny claims of unrepresented injury victims. They employ many tactics, such as recording victim statements they can dissect to find admissions to twist and use to dismiss liability.

Furthermore, they might stalk social media accounts for posts they can use to claim an injury victim isn't as injured as they claim. Once you obtain a personal injury attorney, the insurance companies can no longer call or pressure you. Additionally, your lawyer will advise you on things like posting on social media.

Access to Their Network of Experts

Personal injury lawyers consult with a network of experts to pinpoint and prove negligence, injuries, and damages, including medical professionals, economists, vocational therapists, occupational therapists, and highway safety and accident reconstruction experts. You may need expert testimony to secure a financial settlement if your case goes to trial.

Thorough Investigation of Your Case

A significant part of proving negligence—rendering the need for compensation—is thoroughly investigating your personal injury case. An attorney will gather evidence, interview witnesses, work with experts, and analyze all the data before making your case.

Comprehensive Valuation of Your Damages

Valuing the financial losses and non-economic damages to your personal injury accident claim involves evaluating many ways you may have suffered due to the incident.

Common economic and non-economic damages include:

  • Medical and rehabilitation expenses
  • Disability costs (home and transportation modifications)
  • Lost income
  • Pain and suffering (ongoing and chronic pain)
  • Mental anguish and emotional distress
  • Vehicle-related expenses (repair, replacement, and rental)
  • Decreased quality of life

Economic damages are easy to verify with receipts, billing statements, and other financial documents demonstrating their costs. However, to prove non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, injury victims should document them in dated and detailed journal entries.

Negotiation of a Fair Settlement 

One of the biggest benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer to help recover compensation after an accident is their negotiation skills.

While most Americans don't regularly negotiate (some even fear it), personal injury attorneys are confident negotiators who will demand that liable parties pay you a fair settlement. Your lawyer will involve you in all settlement offers and decide what you will accept.

Most accident insurance claims never see the inside of a courtroom. However, a personal injury lawyer will represent you in court if your case requires trial.

Schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case. You can determine potential legal recourse for your injuries and other losses.

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