After you get hurt, many people’s advice will be to contact a personal injury attorney. However, there are many things for you to consider beforehand that may hold you back from doing this. 

Maybe you feel you don’t have a good case, you’re not entirely sure whether the accident was your fault or not, and the costs are all just a few of the hurdles you’ll have to convince yourself to overcome. If you find yourself struggling to do so, read one. The advice below may be just what you need to hear to help you make your decision.

You’re Not Sure Who’s at Fault

Every personal injury case revolves around liability, or which party was responsible for the accident. In some cases, this is relatively easy to prove. Most of the time though, it’s much less clear and you’ll have to hire a lawyer to prove who’s at fault, even if you have a dashcam. Yes, this evidence will be important, but there’s a chance even more proof exists.

The other driver may have also had a dashcam, a nearby business might have security footage that may have caught the accident, or witnesses may have been present. In each case, you’ll need to get access to that information. Witnesses can provide testimony and video evidence is difficult to dispute. 

If you try and get this on your own, you’ll likely be stumped or walled at every stage. A lawyer will not have these issues thanks to their experience and status. Plus, they’ll know exactly how to use each piece of evidence to help convince a court that you were not liable and get you all of the money you need.

You’ve Received Medical Treatment

No matter how minor your injuries may seem after an accident, your first step needs to be receiving medical treatment. There’s a good chance that you have injuries that aren’t obvious right now, but that will make themselves known should you try and sleep them off. You might even have a hidden, serious problem that could get out of control fast if not addressed quickly. 

However, medical expenses aren’t cheap. Luckily, a lawyer can help you recoup your medical expenses. Once you’ve been treated, contact your lawyer. They’ll ask a lot of questions and request a lot of documents, your medical bills included. Give them everything they ask for and leave them to investigate. 

They’ll come back to you once they have some evidence and not only inform you about what they found but also tell you whether or not you have a good case. If you do and you go ahead with it, your medical expenses will be the biggest expense they push to get covered so you can go back to living your life.

Dealing With Insurance

Dealing with your insurance is one of the worst parts of an accident. They’ll do everything they can to avoid paying out, and when that doesn’t work, they’ll try and pay you as little as possible. This is even more true if you have to get your expenses paid by another person’s insurance after something like a car accident. 

A lawyer can help avoid a lot of this tomfoolery in two ways: experience and knowledge. You likely don’t have much experience filing insurance claims and debating the insurance about how much they actually owe you. Your lawyer will, though. Combine this experience with their legal expertise and you’ll not only find yourself getting the money you need but also receiving it quickly. 

Sometimes your lawyer doesn’t have to do much pushing. The mere presence of a lawyer can imply that you’re not afraid to pursue legal action, which is expensive enough to convince some companies to comply almost immediately.

That’s not the only way they can help you handle insurance claims, either. If you have to take them to court in order to get what you’re owed then you’ll definitely want a lawyer on your side. They’ll not only help you file your suit and collect evidence; they’re also a great ally to have during a settlement negotiation. 

They have a clear idea of how much you should win should the case succeed and will be able to demand that amount for you while also trying to cover their own expenses separately. The best part is that you have to approve the settlement offer; your lawyer can’t do so on your behalf. If you still feel like you’re being lowballed, then you can just continue with legal proceedings.

You’ve Lost Money

All accidents serious enough to consider hiring a lawyer are going to cost you money. However, some will cut you a bit deeper and result in you losing wages. While a lawyer will take all claims seriously, they take extra care in ones claiming lost wages because they know it means their client is struggling especially hard. 

You’ll likely have sustained a serious injury like a broken bone or head trauma, and those medical bills are expensive. You’ll also have suffered, which no one appreciates. Consider hiring a lawyer as soon as you’re well enough to to start fighting for compensation. While it can’t reverse permanent damage like job loss or paralysis, it can certainly make the situation a bit easier to handle.

You Need Advice

Many lawyers offer a free consultation, and you shouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of it. Even if you are only considering a lawyer for handling your insurance claim to your own insurance. The lawyer will provide as much information and advice as they can. 

If given enough information they can even give you the chances of your cases’ success or how much you might be able to get from a settlement. Just bear in mind that if you do hire them, you’ll have to pay them a percentage of your winnings or settlement.