In 2021, there were 5.4 million motor vehicle incidents requiring medical attention. These plus slips and falls in public places and work-related accidents are all examples of personal injury.
After experiencing an injury on private or public property you should reach out to a personal injury lawyer. Whether you were in a car accident or slipped and fell, you have rights.
Hiring an attorney as soon as possible gives you immediate peace of mind in knowing that an expert is looking out for your best interests. Should you find yourself in any of the situations below, it’s best to contact a personal injury attorney.
After Experiencing Personal Injury
Every day, people experience personal injuries without seeking legal representation or compensation. If your injury was the fault of another party, it’s advisable to contact a lawyer for advice. Personal injury cases can be complex so it helps to have an expert on your side from the beginning—even if you aren’t sure whether you have a case or not.
“Personal injury” is a vague term so it’s understandable that you might not know what it is or the situations it applies to.
The legal definition of personal injury is an event that causes physical or psychological injury to a person. This event must be due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another person, government agency, company, or other entity.
The injury itself can include physical injuries such as broken bones, cuts, and bruises. Emotional injuries such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD also apply. Some different situations that may qualify you to make a personal injury claim include:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Cycling accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Faulty equipment
- Work-related injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Wrongful death
If you’ve experienced injuries following one of these situations, you should hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Acting fast avoids exhausting statutes and unnecessary worrying about the damages due to you.
There are special types of attorneys for specific types of personal injuries so you’ll need to select the right attorney for your case. For example, Alpha Accident Lawyers specialize in bicycle accident injuries while other law firms might specialize in dog bite cases or slip and fall accidents.
When You Deserve Compensation
Hiring an attorney after experiencing personal injury brings the issue to the attention of your state’s legal services. By examining the details of your case, your personal injury lawyer can work out how much compensation you deserve.
All kinds of factors influence your compensation total. These include damages, loss of wages, loss of personal property, out-of-pocket expenses such as medical fees, and any other expenses.
The compensation you can receive will depend on several factors, including:
- Whether or not you are partly responsible for the accident
- The severity of your injuries
- Your prognosis
- Your age
- Your pre-accident income
- The cost of medical expenses, rehabilitation, or other out-of-pocket expenses
The main benefit of hiring an attorney is being able to seek fair compensation for these injuries and losses. With a specialized personal injury lawyer on your side, you won’t have to worry about proving to the court that you deserve this compensation. Instead, you can let your attorney take care of everything and concentrate on recovering from your injuries.
When Facing Expenses and Losses
Experiencing a personal injury can mean facing huge medical bills. You may be entitled to compensation for some or all these costs. This often depends on the nature and cause of your injury.
By hiring an attorney specializing in personal injury, you can also receive compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, future medical treatment costs, and more.
Many personal injury cases and the losses they lead to can be much more complex than people think. The extent of the damage suffered may not always be obvious straight away. For example, some common car accident injuries—such as whiplash—can take time to appear. The psychological impact of some personal injuries can be so long-lasting that they affect your everyday life for years.
All this can lead to reduced quality of life, pain, suffering, and months or even years of lost wages. Your attorney’s calculation also needs to include property damage and the losses incurred because of this. By considering all these intricacies, they can ensure that you get fair compensation to cover all the expenses and losses you’re facing.
When You Need Evidence to Support Your Claim
Contacting a specialized personal injury attorney as soon as possible helps them to support your claim that the other party is liable for your injury. Without evidence, it might be down to your word against theirs. It’s typical for the accused party to claim that they were not negligent or took ordinary care to prevent an accident.
Acting fast ensures that evidence is easier to access and that the event is fresh in everyone’s mind. From videos and photos to eyewitness testimonies, personal injury attorneys know the right questions to ask and where to find evidence that backs your version of events.
If the evidence gathered is conclusive enough, the other party and their representation will be far more likely to settle before the case goes any further.
Following a Low Settlement Offer
Understandably, insurance companies want to avoid a large payout. When it comes to settling personal injury claims, they may try to devalue or even deny them.
A personal injury lawyer can assess whether or not the settlement offer is enough. They’ll then be in a position to argue for more compensation or even represent you in court if it comes to that.
It’s a huge mistake to sign a settlement offer without first consulting a lawyer. After you sign, it will be difficult if not impossible to increase the settlement offer.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney Today
After experiencing a personal injury, you have a right to legal representation. Hiring an attorney makes it a lot easier to receive fair compensation and cover your losses.
Above all, it’s vital to contract a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. With knowledge of your case from the start, they’ll be in a better position to gather evidence, calculate fair compensation, and review any settlement offers.
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