One would think that handling an injury case would be as simple as just discussing it with claim adjusters, and that would be all. The truth is, if you’ve got some basic knowledge about the insurance claim process, a little bit of organizational skill, and patience, you can handle your personal injury claim without needing an attorney. Your insurance company wouldn’t deny or reduce your compensation. But this doesn’t apply to most cases.
It might be easy to represent yourself when you’ve got injuries where you were not badly hurt and have the confidence to handle them personally. This isn’t the case for serious injuries. You’d need experts who’ve experienced negotiating on your behalf. Insurance companies would go through details you never knew were a thing; you can’t afford to be confused in such scenarios. This guide covers valid reasons why you’d want a professional to handle your claim.
1. You’d Get More Money
Contrary to what many people think, hiring an injury lawyer is not really expensive when you consider the benefit of having them in your corner. Here is another fact: people who hire an attorney end up getting paid more than people who decide to handle it on their own. Funny enough, even after paying lawyer fees, they still get paid three times more.
Why is that so? It’s clear! Lawyers not only have more experience, but they’ve also got more negotiation skills than you and are quite familiar with how to begin the injury claim process. By default, insurance companies are likely to better respond to a lawyer than the injured holder.
If you’ve been thinking of handling the case by yourself, you might want to reconsider your stance. The 30% to 40% percentage you’re scared of paying would fetch you more money than if you handled it yourself.
You can check with personal injury attorneys in Virginia Beach to review clients’ comments on the cases they handled and their rates of success. This would give you an idea of who to consult and how much it may cost you.
2. Lawyers Are Experienced
Except you’re a legal practitioner who got injured, attorneys have more experience recovering claims than you. Their wealth of experience would guide you through talking with the parties involved and compiling evidence for your case. A personal injury lawyer in Colorado asserted that gathering documents takes time, and you need someone who has done it multiple times to ensure you avoid mistakes and improve your chances of a successful claim. Some lawyers even offer free consultation services that’d give you a brief of what you’d need. It’s part of their duties to identify cases where you can easily make a claim against the insurance company.
Most people would likely consider placing claims when there’s a severe injury. With a personal injury lawyer, you have a case even when you think there’s none.
3. You’re Not As Professional As A Lawyer
There are complainants and prosecutors. Simply put, prosecutors are complainants who have been in the courtroom for a long time and are familiar with all the right words that’d help them win a case. If you decide to do it yourself, you’re a complainant.
Judges know that complainants didn’t study law and, as such, are not familiar with the rules that guide pleas or the court. Judges prefer a prosecutor to a complainant in a court sitting. Furthermore, pleading without a lawyer might cause unnecessary setbacks or errors that might delay your claim process.
You think all you have to do is speak to your insurance adjuster, and they’ll help you process and settle your demand. What you might not be aware of is that the adjuster’s job is to try and give you the smallest amount of money compared to what you deserve, or nothing at all if they have solid reasons why they shouldn’t. If you really want to get any settlement from an adjuster, you should hire an injury attorney. In so doing, you’re putting them and their job at risk. This would result in the insurance company quickly approving your demand.
4. Statute Of Limitation
Do you know your statute of limitations like the palm of your hands? This is something you should watch out for. Knowing a little bit of it isn’t enough. An injury lawyer has more knowledge of it than the average person. Not just knowing it alone, but also knowing how best to apply it can guide you on what to do. Don’t just say you’d read about it; that would do your claim no good.
If you’re serious about making money from your claim or getting justice, you really shouldn’t consider handling it yourself. You can be involved in the process if it means that much to you, but let the professionals handle the major aspects and give you the kind of results you need.
