If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else, you may consider hiring a personal injury attorney. But there are several common myths about personal injury attorneys that persuade some people to not get an attorney. Before you make that decision, learn more about some of the misconceptions about this specialized area of the law.
Legal Fees Eat Up Your Settlement
Many people believe that it’s not worth hiring an attorney because their fees will gobble up most of their settlement. This is not true.
The most important things to understand about the attorney’s compensation are this: They don’t get paid unless you do — and, most personal injury attorneys do not charge upfront fees.
So, you will not need to pay anything unless the attorney wins your case, and you usually do not have to pay anything out of pocket, either.
If a personal injury attorney takes your case, it means they think you are likely to receive a favorable settlement or verdict. Statistics show that most personal injury victims receive more compensation when they hire an attorney, even after deducting legal fees.
Most personal injury attorneys charge about 33% of your settlement for their fee. While that sounds like a lot, remember that you still are likely to get much more money than if you represented yourself.
You Can Represent Yourself
Of course you can, but is it wise? Injured parties with attorneys nearly always get more compensation than if they represent themselves. Why is this?
Usually, the attorney will deal with the at-fault party’s insurance company. The insurance provider employs adjusters who are experts in paying as little as possible for settlements. The insurance company makes money by reducing how much it pays out as much as they can.
Your attorney knows how to negotiate with insurance companies. He knows their tricks and games. But if you try to negotiate with the insurance company yourself, you are more likely to have a smaller settlement.
Insurance companies love when injured parties try to represent themselves because they usually settle for much less than they should. Your attorney knows the approximate value of your case and has the knowledge and skill to negotiate the best settlement.
You Can Hire Any Attorney
There are many specialties in the legal field. Just because someone is a good divorce attorney does not mean they should handle your personal injury case. You need to always hire a personal injury attorney if you are injured in an accident. No other type of attorney has the skill or knowledge in this specialized area. In a similar vein, military personnel seeking compensation for injury should look for a specialist military law firm to work with. Veterans can see more here with regard to the benefits and compensation that they could be owed.
The Claim Will Bankrupt the At-Fault Party
This is usually not true. It’s rare that the compensation you receive is from the person directly. Usually, the person’s insurance company pays, up to the policy’s maximum, whatever it is.
There are rare cases where someone with severe injuries will sue the at-fault party personally, but this usually doesn’t happen.
You Can File a Lawsuit Anytime
In reality, there is a statute of limitations to file a personal injury case. It varies by state, but the usual time limit is between one and four years for personal injury and property damage.
Some people avoid the hassle of filing a claim or lawsuit until right before the time limit expires. Many good attorneys will not take the case in this situation, so make sure you file the case well before the statute of limitations expires.
Hopefully, you now understand some of the misconceptions surrounding personal injury attorneys. Be sure that you talk to an attorney for a free consultation if you’re injured in an accident.
