Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer? If So, When?

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, a workplace injury, from a slip and fall, or in any other type of accident, it may be time to talk to a personal injury lawyer. But when? And how do you know a lawyer can help you with the particular accident or injury that you have suffered? Do you absolutely have to hire a personal injury attorney? If you are considering pursuing a personal injury lawsuit, questions like these are probably on your mind.  Keep reading to find out if and when you should contact a personal injury attorney.

Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you have been in an accident and suffered damages you may be entitled to compensation through the civil litigation process.  Accidents and the injuries that they cause can range from minor and straightforward to potentially fatal and extremely complex.  Regardless of the type of injury or accident you may have been involved in, you could attempt to file all of the necessary insurance paperwork yourself and even represent yourself in motions, hearings, and at a potential trial.  While you always have the option to represent yourself in personal injury litigation, should you? If you are hoping for the best possible outcome to your lawsuit, the answer is usually no. A personal injury attorney handles cases like yours every day and is familiar with negotiating with insurance carriers, legal deadlines and local court policies and procedures. They can help guide you through all of the legal complexities unfamiliar to a layperson and help ensure that you are treated fairly under the law.  Many personal injury attorneys will work your case without an upfront fee and will only collect for their services after you have received a settlement.

How long after an accident should you wait to hire a personal injury attorney?  

If you have suffered injuries and/or damages as the result of another’s negligence, you should consider contacting an experienced injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights as soon as it is reasonably practical to do so.  Timing may be extremely important to the overall success of your case. You should also speak with an experienced attorney before you give any written or recorded statements to insurance adjusters- as those statements can and often will be used against you (sometimes even by your own insurance carrier).  If you are represented by an attorney, insurance adjusters are not allowed to obtain statements from you without your lawyer’s consent, so it is less likely that you will get interrogated by an insurance adjuster without being prepared by your lawyer beforehand concerning the types of questions likely to be asked of you.

Additionally, a statute of limitations applies to most personal injury cases.  If you wait too long to contact a lawyer to settle a case pre-litigation or to file a lawsuit when necessary, you will lose the opportunity to seek a recovery for your injuries and damages.

So, if you or a loved one has been injured in any type of accident, contact a personal injury attorney today.  The statute of limitations to file your claim may be running out, and the sooner your lawyer can begin working on your case the better chance he or she has to collect the best evidence on your behalf and use it to get you the compensation you deserve.