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If you have a personal injury case and you are trying to decide whether you need a lawyer, you should know that not every case requires that you hire a lawyer. However, in certain instances, it may be in your best interest to obtain legal counsel.
Generally, for most types of personal injury claims, you are afforded the legal right to recover compensation for your injuries from the responsible parties. This compensation can result from a settlement outside of court, or through a formal lawsuit in court.
If you find yourself in a situation where you may need to file a personal injury claim, one of the most important decisions you will need to make is deciding whether to hire a San Diego personal injury lawyer.
If you are already collecting the maximum allowable amount from the insurance provider, you may not need a lawyer to handle your case. However, you must proceed with caution, especially if you have incurred medical bills because of your accident. Your health insurance provider, and others, may seek reimbursement for the care and treatment they have provided out of the money that you recover.
If you believe that the claims process won’t be difficult because your injuries are minor and the value of your injury claim is minimal, you may be able to handle your claim on your own. However, even if things look easy, there is still some risk involved because you may actually be underestimating the value of your claim or the willingness of the insurance company to offer you what you believe that you are entitled to.
If you believe that you have a good idea of the full extent of your injuries and they are minor, you may not need to hire a lawyer. However, you should be certain that there are no long term problems that you may not be aware of. If you are likely to undergo additional tests or follow-up appointments with your doctor before he or she can fully confirm that your injuries are indeed minor, it is advisable for you to seek an attorney immediately.
In addition, your minor injuries could turn out to be worse than you or your doctor had originally assumed. If you have already agreed to a settlement offer, then there will be nothing further that you can do to obtain additional compensation because the terms of the settlement will require that you give up the right to file any future claims related to your accident. By hiring a good lawyer, you will be advised to wait until you have a better idea of the extent of your injuries so that you will know when to accept a settlement offer for your claim.
In many instances, a lawyer’s services can be helpful or even necessary. Here are some of the reasons why you should hire a lawyer:
In most personal injury cases, the insurance company is not looking to serve you. Most insurance companies simply want to pay out as little as possible in order to keep their profits. As a result, you need a lawyer on your side if you want to reach your goal of obtaining the largest possible damage award to compensate you for your injuries.
While there is no specific guideline to follow when it comes to when you should hire a personal injury lawyer, you should make sure that you engage a lawyer’s services immediately after your accident. You don’t want to forfeit your chance to file a claim because of a “statute of limitations.” Additionally, a lawyer will advise you on what to do after your accident so that you don’t make the mistakes that accident victims often do, ultimately hurting their cases.
Even if you believe that you can handle your personal injury claim on your own, speaking with a lawyer right away is ultimately in your best interest and may save you money in the end.
If you have a personal injury claim, Walker Law is available to review your claim. Contact us today via email or call us at (619) 839-9978 to schedule your free consultation.