This is When You Need to Be Talking to a Personal Injury Attorney!
There are over 30,000 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States annually and the Association for Safe International Road Travel reports that almost 40,000 U.S. citizens die in road crashes every year. And while some of these crashes can be chalked up to weather or other environmental factors out of our control, the sad fact remains that the majority of accidents are due to human error. We all know we shouldn’t drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol and that we shouldn’t text and drive and that road rage is bad. And yet the statistics remain. If you or a loved one has been impacted by a wrongful death due to a motor vehicle accident or if you’ve been badly injured as a result, looking at personal injury law firms to find a personal injury attorney isn’t a bad idea.
What Do Personal Injury Attorneys Handle?
Personal injury attorneys represent people who have been injured (either physically or mentally) at the hands of someone else. It can be either due to negligence or willful wrongdoing and applies to not just individuals, but companies, government agencies, or other institutions. Personal injury cases can include injuries incurred at work, car accidents, bad products, medical malpractice cases, or slip and fall accidents.
They can assist with making sure that the opposing party’s insurance covers the damages or compensation owed you and will help negotiate a settlement on your behalf. If no settlement can be arranged, then your attorney will either seek arbitration or file a lawsuit on your behalf. Your attorney can also be useful in contacting creditors — if you’re laid up and cannot pay your bills, your attorney can often help make arrangements.
And, ideally, an attorney makes sure that a settlement is reached in the shortest amount of time possible — without an attorney, it’s possible that your case could drag on or end unfavorably.
When Should I Look at Personal Injury Law Firms?
If you know — and have solid evidence — that you were not at fault for the accident or injury, you have a strong case in seeking out personal injury law firms. Getting in touch with personal injury law firms is especially important if you have serious injuries, have had to deal with/are dealing with pricey medical bills, or have been forced to take time off work, thereby losing a large sum of money because you were injured. If your injury is long term or has resulted in a permanent disability, seeking out a personal injury firm is also a good idea.
If you have minor injuries and didn’t rack up significant medical bills or didn’t need to take time off work to recover, it’s probably not worth seeking out a personal injury attorney.
You may also want to get in touch with a personal injury attorney if an insurance company claims that it’s not responsible for paying your damages, due to disputed liability, or if they just outright refuse to put forth a settlement offer. An attorney can help you obtain the financial compensation you deserve.
How Do I Find a Good Personal Injury Attorney?
Getting in touch with a network of friends, family, and colleagues to see if they’ve been through anything similar — and who they might recommend to you as a personal injury attorney — is a good first step. A personal recommendation is often one of the best you can get.
If you know other lawyers, they may also be able to make a smart recommendation that’s more personal that what an online search can yield. However, checking online is also another good avenue to go down. Look at your state’s Bar Association — they often have a directory of attorneys. Online reviews and testimonials can also help make decisions easier.
If you’ve suffered an injury at someone else’s hands, don’t hesitate to take action! Get in touch with personal injury law firms to see who can help you get the compensation you deserve. You deserve recompense and justice. Get it with the help of a personal injury attorney.
