When you get injured in an accident, you will want to pursue compensation, especially if you suspect another party is responsible. If you have never been to a similar situation before, you may be tempted to handle the personal injury case all by yourself.
While there is no harm in representing yourself, especially if you weren’t badly hurt, hiring a personal injury lawyer is important. A good attorney will help you understand all your legal options and ensure that the insurance company does not use unfair tactics to deny or reduce your compensation.
How to identify a good personal injury lawyer?
Check if your chosen personal injury lawyer specializes in your type of case.
When choosing a personal injury lawyer, experience is one thing you must check. The attorney you choose should have specialized experience in the specific type of personal injury law your case falls under.
If, for instance, you have been injured in a car accident, you need someone who specializes in that type of case. Similarly, you shouldn’t hire a truck accident lawyer to handle your product liability case; they might not deliver the most favorable outcome.
If you have been injured in Nevada due to someone else’s negligence, you may want to visit Benson & Bingham’s Las Vegas law firm so they can help you recover the rightful compensation.
Understand the lawyer’s fee schedule
Besides experience, it is important to understand the attorney’s fee schedule before you let them handle your case.
A good personal injury lawyer should offer free consultation and case evaluation. Additionally, they must be willing to work on a contingency basis. That means the lawyer you hire should not get paid before your case’s conclusion and will only take a percentage of the settlement recovered.
Benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer
The lawyer you hire will handle the legal aspect of your case.
After an accident, there are lots of things that you must do, especially if you want to pursue compensation. These include diagnostic and treatment procedures for your injuries, filing a police report, and scheduling damage inspections.
Considering there are so many things that need your attention, dealing with the aftermath of an accident can be overwhelming. Luckily, a good personal injury lawyer will use their time and resources to ease your burden so you can focus on what matters most, your recovery.
An attorney will offer objective and professional help.
When injured, you may not be in a position to bring objectivity to your case, given the physical pain and emotional trauma you have to endure. Put simply, your judgment may be clouded, and you may not have the ability to stick to facts due to your personal feelings.
That is where a personal injury lawyer comes in. With no stake in your case, a personal injury lawyer is best placed to make decisions on your behalf and work to help you get the rightful compensation.
Now, onto the cons
Lawyers can be expensive.
Although most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, some can take percentages as high as 40% of what they help you recover. Others may cost you more than they help you recover, especially if they work on a fixed hourly rate.
Some are incompetent.
Many choose to work with a lawyer simply because they saw them on a TV ad. The truth is that not all attorneys you see on TV and other marketing platforms are as experienced as they claim and may not help you obtain a favorable outcome.
Wrapping up
Although there is nothing wrong with handling your own personal injury case, you are likely to make mistakes that may eventually hurt your case’s outcome. That is why you need to hire a skilled personal injury lawyer to help you avoid simple mistakes that may have a serious impact later.
