When you’re hurt in a car accident or other incident caused by negligence, one of the worst things you can do is deal with the insurance company on your own. They handle claims every day, and from their perspective, a serious injury is just numbers on a spreadsheet. They have defense lawyers on their side protecting their interests, and you need your own advocate to level the playing field.
You need a lawyer. More to the point, you need the right lawyer.
Personal injury claims are complex and highly, well, personal. You only get one shot at compensation – once you accept the insurance company’s money, that’s it – and your final settlement or verdict needs to cover all the losses you’ve experienced and make you financially whole again. That means you need an attorney who will put in the time and effort to build a case for maximum compensation.
A lot of law firms talk about “personal attention,” but what does it mean?
Many lawyers talk about how much they care about their clients and the personal attention they give every case. Following through on those promises is another matter entirely. In a personal injury case, here’s what personal attention from a lawyer looks like:
Digging into the details. It’s one thing for an attorney to submit an itemized medical bill for reimbursement. It’s quite another to ask the follow-up questions needed to get at the full value of your claim. Has your injury affected your ability to take care of your family or meet your responsibilities at home and work? How much pain are you in? How has the accident affected your future? Every loss should be accounted for in your final claim.
Investigating your accident. A thorough investigation is about three things: who is responsible for your accident (liability), how much you’ve lost (damages), and critically, what insurance or other source of compensation is available to pay for it. That may mean poring over insurance documents, requesting copies of reports, tracking down witnesses, and gathering physical evidence. It’s also about timing: critical records may disappear in time, and your lawyer should act promptly to secure and preserve that evidence before it’s gone.
Hiring expert witnesses. To fully establish your claim, you may need expert testimony from an accident reconstructionist who can help determine what happened, or a medical professional who can explain the prognosis for your injuries. Hiring expert witnesses is a significant investment on your attorney’s part, but it’s worthwhile if their testimony helps you build a stronger case.
Negotiating with medical providers. In general, when you get compensation for your accident, your medical providers get paid first. As such, negotiating with your doctors or hospital can make a significant difference in how much money you actually keep. The right lawyer can handle those negotiations on your behalf.
Handling your property damage claim. If you were in a motor vehicle accident, you may have significant property damage in addition to your injury-related expenses. The dollar amount may be smaller, but repairing or replacing your vehicle is important for your independence and quality of life – and your attorney should take that need seriously.
Keeping your legal options open, including trial if necessary. To be clear, even if you hire a trial attorney, you’re not necessarily going to trial. Most personal injury matters settle out of court, some without even filing a lawsuit. However, it’s important to have the option of going to trial in your back pocket in case the insurance company is uncooperative. An attorney who is ready to go to trial if that’s what it takes will put maximum pressure on the insurance company to offer a fair settlement.
These are the types of steps that get missed if you go to a firm that depends on case volume instead of maximum results for each case. Often, though certainly not always, these are large firms where you can get lost in the shuffle. The risk of choosing such a firm is significant: you could get stuck accepting a settlement that doesn’t fully meet your needs, and once you’ve accepted that offer, that’s it. Your case is closed, and you’re left to rebuild your life on your own.
Find a personal injury lawyer who will give your case personal attention.
Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations, so if you’re considering a lawyer or law firm, you will have an immediate opportunity to assess whether they’ll give you personal attention. Some of the questions you should ask in that initial meeting include:
- Who at the firm will be working on my case?
- Will I have access to my attorney if I have a question or concern?
- How much time do you expect to spend on my case? What services will be offered?
- How long do you expect my case to take to resolve?
- Have you handled cases similar to mine, and if so, what were the results?
- Can you put me in touch with a former client?
Not all of these questions can be definitively answered in a free consultation, but the answers you do get will give you a sense of where the attorney is coming from and how they’ll approach your case. Of course, you are free to do your own research as well. Read reviews, talk to former clients, and don’t hire an attorney until you’re confident that they will make your case count.
The key is to act quickly. The sooner you get a personal injury lawyer on your side, the better the position you will be in going forward. Schedule a free consultation with an attorney in your area today.
