What Does A Personal Injury Attorney Do?

Injuries happen. You trip and fall in a department store or you’re hit by a car while driving on the freeway. In all cases where another party is involved and responsible for your injuries, it may make sense to hire a personal injury attorney to protect your rights.

If you’re thinking, “I can file a lawsuit on my own,” you can. But you may not know what procedures to follow, how much your case is worth or who to seek damages from.

An attorney is an invaluable resource who will walk you through the legal process ahead, but what will they do? We’ll cover the many reasons to work with an attorney and why it’s worth it to do so.

Accidents where it’s worth pursuing damages require some form of negligence. If you’re in your own home, trip on your dog’s toys and fall, you cannot pursue damages. However, if you slip and fall in a supermarket because of a wet surface, negligence may have led to your injuries.

You may be able to file a lawsuit and seek damages when injuries are a result of:

Purposeful acts of another party, such as not fixing a leaking pipe that caused you to slip and fall.
Negligent acts, such as another driver failing to stop at a stop sign and causing your injuries.

Working with a personal injury lawyer gives you access to a legal professional who will:

Explain Your Rights

After an accident, the biggest question is what rights you have in your state. Comparative negligence laws exist along with statutes of limitations, which means that if you’re at fault for the accident in some way, the percentage of fault may be deducted from your award.

Second, you only have so much time to file a lawsuit. For example, Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5) requires that you file a lawsuit for damages within two years of the incident.

Your attorney will explain your rights to you, what damages you can pursue and who you can seek damages from.

Negotiate with Insurance Companies

Insurers can and will try to negotiate a lower settlement than you deserve. It’s in the insurer’s best interest to pay as little as possible, and their lawyers can be relentless when trying to get you to settle.

Hiring an attorney for personal injury removes you from the negotiation process, allowing your attorney to work on your behalf to come to a fair settlement you agree on.

Let your attorney handle the insurer while you focus on restoring your life after your injuries.

Represent You in Court

You may be able to settle your case out of court, but when an agreement cannot be made, your attorney will represent you in court. As a legal representative for you, your attorney will:

Argue your case
Fight back against low-ball settlements
File an appeal if the case doesn’t go your way

Depending on the circumstances of the case, your attorney may need to bring in accident recreationists, expert witnesses and others to win your case. With the guidance of a legal professional, you can be sure that someone who knows the law will fight to uphold it on your behalf.

Is It Worth Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney?

There are many advantages to hiring a personal injury attorney that stretch beyond the list above. These benefits far outweigh the cost of hiring an attorney and can help you achieve a positive outcome in your case.

An attorney can:

Provide Effective Legal Guidance

Your attorney will leverage their years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the law to help you find the best course of action to take in your case.

Their job is to provide sound legal guidance to help you achieve your goals. In all likelihood, your attorney has handled cases similar to yours and will know which strategies accomplish the best outcomes.

Without experience and intimate knowledge of personal injury law, you may wind up settling for far less than you deserve or having your claim denied.

Offer an Objective Assessment of Your Case

It can be difficult to see the big picture when you’re personally impacted by a personal injury. Pain, anger and frustration can cloud your judgment. In extreme cases, irrational actions can complicate the claims process.

An attorney for personal injury can provide an objective assessment of your case and help you navigate each step of the claims process with a level head.

Help You Avoid Pitfalls and Setbacks

One of the greatest advantages of hiring a personal injury attorney – and the reason why hiring one is worth it – is that they can help you avoid pitfalls and setbacks.

An attorney can bring in experts to assess the true cost of your injuries, both now and in the future, to ensure that you’re seeking a fair settlement. They will know how to properly value your claim and which damages you may be entitled to.

Additionally, they can provide guidance on how to approach each step of the process to ensure your actions are supporting your claim.

Pursue the Maximum Compensation in Your Case

Calculating the value of a claim can be complex, especially when pain and suffering and emotional trauma are involved. These are intangible damages that can have a significant impact on your quality of life.

Having a true and complete picture of your case’s value means that you can pursue maximum compensation for your damages.

An attorney will have the skills and knowledge to calculate your damages properly and help you pursue the compensation you are entitled to under the law.

How Keller Swan Can Help With Your Personal Injury Case

When accidents and injuries are caused by someone else’s negligence, the responsible party should be held accountable for their actions. At Keller Swan, we help injured victims seek the justice and compensation they deserve for their medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

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