7 Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have sustained injuries because of the negligence of another motorist, person, or company, knowing what to do can be hard. You might be facing an extended recovery time combined with rapidly growing medical bills, wage losses, and physical and mental pain and suffering. Fortunately, Pennsylvania’s tort laws allow people who have suffered harm and losses because of others’ negligent or wrongful acts to recover compensation for their losses by filing legal claims. However, the claims process can be complex, making it a good idea to get the help of a competent personal injury attorney. While you’re not required to have a lawyer represent you in an injury case, here are seven reasons why you should consider retaining one.
1. Objectivity And Legal Knowledge
Following a collision with injuries or another type of injury accident, you will likely experience a combination of pain from your injuries and strong emotions. Experiencing trauma can make it harder for you to deal with your claim objectively. A skilled and experienced personal injury attorney also can offer extensive legal knowledge to understand how to handle your claim so that you can receive fair compensation for your losses.
2. Negotiation Skills
Insurance companies use numerous tactics to convince injury accident victims that their claims are worth less than they are. In some cases, they send unreasonably low settlement offers to accident victims in the hope that they will agree to accept the offers. Trying to negotiate your claim with an insurance company can be difficult when you are also contending with your injuries and financial losses. When you retain an experienced attorney, he or she can handle the negotiations with the insurance company for you. In many cases, having strong legal representation can result in larger settlements because lawyers hone their negotiating skills in law school and in their years of practice.
3. Prevention Of Critical Mistakes
Insurance companies contact accident victims as soon as they learn that they were injured. You might be contacted by an adjuster who claims that the insurer needs to get your side of the story. The adjuster might seem like a caring person who is compassionate about your injuries and ask you if you can make a recorded statement. In actuality, adjusters are loyal to their employers’ interests and not the interests of accident victims. If you agree to give a recorded statement, the insurance company will use whatever you say against you in your claim. Similarly, insurance companies sometimes send release forms to the victims to try to get their medical records. The insurance company might tell you that it needs you to sign the release form to
verify your injuries. However, they use these types of releases to try to find something else on which to blame the victims’ injuries. You should not make statements to the at-fault driver’s insurance company or agree to sign anything without talking to a personal injury lawyer. Your attorney can then take over and help to prevent you from making critical errors that could potentially harm your claim and your rights to recover compensation.
4. Evening The Playing Field
Insurance companies and at-fault parties often aggressively defend against accident claims. If you try to represent yourself, you will likely have to face a defense attorney hired by the insurance company, and he or she will likely have much more knowledge about the law and the claims process than you. Having your own attorney can help to even the playing field and make it likelier that you will succeed in recovering damages. Your lawyer should understand how to investigate your claim and find evidence to support it.
5. Help To Expedite Your Claim
If you are not represented by an attorney, you will not be able to pursue compensation until you have sufficiently recovered from your injuries, which can translate into waiting much longer before you will receive a settlement. It is best for you to contact a personal injury attorney at Raynes & Lawn right after your collision. Doing so can help the process move more quickly because your attorney can file the claim on your behalf while you are still recovering. Your lawyer should also know how to prevent setbacks from occurring to facilitate a faster resolution of your claim.
6. Help With Accessing Medical Care
Some doctors refuse to treat injury accident victims because they do not want to be involved in potential litigation and might not be familiar with how to bill auto insurance companies. If you contact an injury attorney immediately when you are injured in an injury accident, he or she might be able to help you find someone who will treat you. The attorneys at Raynes & Lawn regularly work with doctors and specialists and can help you find someone who will properly treat you.
7. Providing Peace Of Mind
Many people who suffer serious injuries because of the actions of others struggle with emotional and psychological trauma. When you are dealing with these types of injuries, trying to deal with your personal injury claim can add unneeded stress. When you hire a personal injury attorney right after you have been injured, your attorney can handle all aspects of your claim so that you can have peace of mind that it will be handled properly.
Talk To An Experienced Philadelphia Injury Attorney
Many different people are injured in accidents caused by other people or businesses. If you have sustained injuries because of someone else’s actions, you should contact the attorneys at Raynes & Lawn as soon as possible. We have fought for the rights of accident victims for 50 years and understand how to build strong cases on behalf of our clients to maximize their settlements. Call us today to request a free consultation at 1-800-535-1797.
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