Is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney?
Most personal injury attorneys are paid only if the settlement comes through, so finances should never be a factor when looking for advice on your injury case. Some personal injury attorneys, like High Desert Law, will even help with answering questions regarding case value and negotiation tactics, so that you can handle a case on your own.
In short, you are always better off talking with a personal injury attorney – even if you don’t hire one – and the earlier you call after a crash, the better. The consultation is free and the information you learn can be crucial in moving forward.
Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
This question of whether you should hire a personal injury attorney really comes down to 1) the complexity of your injuries; 2) how fair the insurance company is being; 3) liability; 4) whether you can do better with an attorney than on your own; and 5) whether you are comfortable handling your claim on your own – which includes fielding calls from both insurance adjusters, making sure bills get paid, addressing potential liens, and knowing what it is you are agreeing to in a settlement (more on this below under Settling Cases on Your Own).
Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
For most, the decision is clear. If you have been seriously injured, we firmly believe you will do better with an attorney (even after fees and costs) than you can do on your own. The benefits of having someone to guide you through this are invaluable. This includes: gaining experienced advice about your providers and treatment, making sure bills are properly addressed, and taking the stress of the legal process off of your plate so you can focus on your recovery.
In terms of weighing the costs and benefits of hiring a personal injury attorney, we’ve provided a simple Settlement Calculator to help you understand if hiring an injury lawyer is worth it for you.
Settling Cases on Your Own
There is nothing wrong with trying to settle a case on your own. However, the insurance company does this work regularly, while you do not. Therefore, you need to be very careful when reaching an agreement with the insurance companies – and know what you are agreeing to. We’ve seen settlements from individuals who had handled a case on their own, and were actually deceived by the insurance company. For example, the insurance company offered an amount – say $10,000, but did not tell the injured party it included medical payments by the individual’s own insurance company (PIP), which were a couple thousand dollars. After the person agreed, the insurance company sent the individual a check and release for $3,000 ($10,000 minus the PIP) when the individual thought they were getting, and had agreed to, $10,000.
High Desert Law’s Settlement Calculator will help you understand the cost of hiring a personal injury attorney and how that cost can affect the settlement amounts due to you (after fees and costs).
Do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions. We are here to help. (541) 306-6553
