If you have been injured and you believe that it wasn’t your fault, then you may be eligible for compensation. However, getting this compensation depends on the outcome of a compensation claim. This claim could be made directly to an insurance company or through the courts. If you aren’t a legal expert then you likely won’t know where to begin with making such a claim. This is where personal injury attorneys come in. They can represent you, fight for you, and get you the compensation that you deserve.
This article will tell you why you should hire a personal injury attorney after being involved in an accident:
The Law is Complex
The main reason that you should hire a lawyer is that the law is complex. Most people aren’t trained legal professionals, and most people haven’t got law degrees. If you aren’t a qualified attorney and don’t have a law degree, then you need to contact a lawyer. The law is incredibly complex, and so, navigating it as a layman can be nearly impossible. Lawyers have to train and study for many years before they can qualify as an attorney. This means that they are very experienced and know exactly what they are doing. There’s no one better to have on your side than somebody who is capable and experienced. If you are involved in some form of accident, you may be thinking of reaching out to the insurance company first. But insurance companies often suggest quick and cheap settlements that don’t protect your interests. Experienced accident attorneys understand the legal procedures which you might be unfamiliar with. They have an idea of which legal documents to file, how to complete forms correctly, and ensure that your case is adequately presented. Check Slater & Zurz to learn what you should expect when meeting an accident attorney.
Lawyers Can Negotiate
Most people are absolutely useless at negotiating. Not lawyers though, because it is a lawyer’s job to negotiate. A lawyer will negotiate on your behalf with the insurance company or person that you are claiming against. They will also negotiate with their legal representation. Were you to represent yourself, you would have to do all of this, and negotiate, which, for an inexperienced person, is frankly impossible. Instead of making a fool out of yourself in negotiations, leave it to an attorney. In addition to negotiating on your behalf, your lawyer will handle all relevant paperwork, evidence, and filing deadlines for you, according to the legal specialists from https://www.injury-attorneys.com/car-accident-lawyers/when-to-hire-a-lawyer/.
Self-Representation Fails
More often than not, for the reasons already specified, self-representation fails. In the rare cases that it is successful, it is because the person has experience as a lawyer or has studied the law extensively. The chances of winning your case if you are representing yourself are slim to none. Take our advice and hire a lawyer. Even people who have studied the law but have no experience negotiating and, in the courtroom, usually fail when they are put in these situations because they are put up against trained attorneys who actually know what they are doing and how to argue.
Lawyers Challenge Evidence
Most people don’t scrutinize evidence. Instead, they take it at face value and assume that because it is being presented to them as ‘evidence’ that it must be the truth. This is not true at all. The evidence is there to be argued with. A trained and qualified attorney will be able to challenge evidence for you, helping you to win your case. Whenever you’re making any type of claim, the person you are claiming against will do their best to undermine your evidence by presenting their own. Your attorney will be able to pick holes in their evidence, bolstering yours, and strengthening your case.
They Have Investigators
While on the subject of evidence, it’s important to also mention that lawyers have their own trained investigators, who they use to investigate complex legal cases for them. If your case warrants it, your attorney will hire an investigator to dig up evidence on the person that you are claiming against. They will also try to support your case with evidence, by interviewing witnesses, looking for CCTV, and recreating the scene of your accident to demonstrate that it was not your fault. Were you to hire a private investigator alone, it would cost thousands. With a lawyer, it’s part of the package.
They Provide Expert Witnesses
In addition to providing investigators [when necessary], lawyers can source and provide expert witnesses, who can be used in court to argue for you. Expert witnesses could include healthcare professionals, accident experts, and former law enforcement officers. The point of providing an expert witness is to discredit the other party’s argument against you. Finding expert witnesses can be incredibly difficult, but a good lawyer will have a pre-established network of them, who they can call upon when they need to.
Lawyers Bolster Cases
When you try to represent yourself, you don’t do your case any justice. Most judges, juries, and insurance companies won’t take a person seriously at all if they are representing themselves and clearly aren’t experienced. If anything, they will be met with contempt, because it appears that they are trying to undermine the legal process and think that they can do it better themselves. Having a lawyer instantly bolsters your case. Your case will be considered seriously by all parties involved, and won’t look like a theatrical performance.
The Other Party’s Representation
A lawyer will be able to argue against the other party’s legal representation for you, as we already mentioned. Personal injury cases often involve a lot of verbal sparring. Your attorney will be able to handle this for you and will be able to battle the other person’s defense. By battling the other person’s defense, your attorney will hopefully get the upper hand. With the upper hand, they can argue for more money. This is why you need an aggressive and experienced lawyer to argue for you. If the lawyer that you have chosen isn’t aggressive or experienced, then find another.
No Win No Fee
No win no fee arrangements are another reason to hire a lawyer. Most people are driven to self-represent because they cannot afford to hire an attorney. A no-win-no-fee arrangement is when you pay your lawyer after they win your case for you. If they lose, then you have absolutely nothing to pay. Because of this, no win no fee lawyers will only accept your case if they think that you have a strong chance of winning.
Any accident that wasn’t your fault needs to be reviewed by a personal injury lawyer, who will tell you if you are eligible for compensation or not. For all of the reasons listed in this article, don’t self-represent. Instead, hire a professionally trained lawyer.
