It is one of the first questions you ask after being injured by a reckless driver, or having slipped on a puddle in a grocery store. A cursory look at insurance company websites would have you believe lawyers are willing to exploit your misfortune for profit. However, these companies encourage claimants to deal with them directly for a fair settlement. They often sound convincing to young adults who lack experience in such matters. They fail to mention the many benefits of having a personal injury lawyer at your disposal. The personal injury lawyers of Jacoby & Meyers offers some helpful information when you consider hiring a personal injury lawyer.
How Severe is Your Injury?
Under the law, an injury victim can receive fair compensation for pain, suffering, loss, and other damages, regardless of the severity of the injury. You can measure most of these in monetary terms, such as continued medical expenses and unpaid leave from work. Tangible, chronic, debilitating pain, loss of limb, loss of life, or mental anguish all increases the value of your claim for monetary compensation.
Insurance Companies are not Your Friend
To survive financially, insurance companies are always looking to minimize their liability. If they absolutely have to pay, they like to pay small. This means their first offer is more beneficial to them than to the claimant. Enticed by the prospect of fast cash, many will accept the settlement, not realizing they are entitled to more money. Countless individuals end up settling before seeing a doctor. Then, they later discover a chronic, injury-related medical condition. Having spent most of their settlement, they have increasing medical debt. Oftentimes, they wish they had contacted a personal injury lawyer in the first place.
In such a case, a lawyer will have the foresight that many individuals lack when handling settlements. They can advise the client on how best to evaluate and plan for unknown, injury-related contingencies. More importantly, a personal injury lawyer can ensure that the insurance company’s offer is commensurate with the nature of the injury. Retaining a personal injury lawyer is a surefire way to prevent an insurance company from taking advantage of you.
Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer Fees
Some insurance companies try to convince the injured party that hiring a lawyer will incur outrageous legal costs. “What’s the point in hiring a lawyer if most of your settlement will wind up going to your lawyer?” they caution. First-time victims and young adults usually fall prey to fears of mounting legal debt.
The reality, however, is that many personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles work on a contingency basis — this means that no retainer (or up-front fee) is required, and a lawyer will defer all fees and will only recover in the event that you win your claim. The personal injury lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers handle all of their cases on a contingency basis. If you don’t win, neither do they. For this reason, personal injury lawyers will evaluate your case. They’ll help determine if you have a strong legal claim before deciding to represent you.
As such, if you are the victim of an injury, you have little reason to worry about being able to afford legal representation and should consider it a necessity.
Contrary to what the insurance companies would have you believe when it actually comes time to pay, your legal fees often represent only a fraction of your total settlement. Your settlement can become greater with the help of a personal injury lawyer. This means you can get a higher amount than settling with the insurance company on your own.
Higher Settlements and Recoveries are Obtainable with an Attorney
Don’t fall prey to insurance company misinformation. If you suffered an injury, a personal injury lawyer would be able to do the emotional and physical legwork you are in no shape to handle. You deserve full compensation.
Don’t settle for less. Contact our law firm today to get in touch with one of our aggressive personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.
[INFOGRAPHIC] Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?