You have just been involved in a car accident and you are trying to decide if you should hire a lawyer. One person tells you he settled his claim with no problem, while another shares her nightmare account of settling her claim for far less money than they wanted to because she felt pressured by the insurance adjuster. Who do you believe?
On top of the confusion of knowing whether you can handle the personal injury claim yourself, even if you decide to handle the claim without an attorney, you don’t know where to start and what steps to take during this process. You have decided you probably should hire an lawyer but you don’t want to pay the standard contingency fee you have heard that all attorneys charge.
Here are a few facts that can help you understand how attorneys earn their fees and why you cannot afford to represent yourself in your personal injury case.
1. Lawyers are familiar with the process. Lawyers who specialize in personal injury cases have experience and are trained to negotiate personal injury claims. Personal injury lawyers can anticipate what issues will arise during the negotiation process and be prepared to counter those objections.
2. Lawyers know the law. There are times when certain aspects of a claim will justify a larger settlement amount. For example, in some parts of the US, a person who is hit by an intoxicated driver is entitled to treble damages. If you are not familiar with the law, you will forfeit opportunities to receive a larger settlement amount such as the one found in the example.
3. Attorneys will fight for you when you do not feel empowered to do so yourself. The lawyer’s job is to be an advocate for his client. Insurance adjusters will not be able to pressure an attorney to settle the way they can with a claimant. The threat of going to court that is often used against claimants is really not a threat for an attorney because attorneys are prepared to litigate cases when they take them. With that element of intimidation eliminated, your attorney will be able to negotiate from a greater position of power on your behalf.
Hiring a Vancouver personal injury lawyer can provide you with many benefits. A lawyer brings experience, knowledge and advocacy to your personal injury claim. Given these benefits, you can see that you may not be able to afford not to hire a personal injury lawyer to handle your auto accident or personal injury claim.
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