Accident victims face many pressures in the days after their ordeal. As well as facing painful physical injuries, there are often psychological and emotional consequences to grapple with. This is not the time to go it alone and hope for the best. You need an experienced personal injury attorney on your side, fighting for a favorable outcome and taking the pressure off your shoulders.
Personal injury lawyers can make a huge difference in your case. Their role includes conducting a thorough investigation, proving liability, and fighting for maximum compensation. Accident victims who hire a lawyer could achieve payouts around three times higher than those who do not.
In this post, we will explore why hiring a lawyer makes such a significant impact and how you can choose the right one to represent you.
Calm, Objective Perspective
Accidents are frightening and traumatic. Afterward, you may experience a range of emotions. According to the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, car accident survivors may face “significant psychological health difficulties.”
It is tough to make good decisions when you are struggling with the trauma of a recent accident. Rather than make rash decisions you may regret later, let a personal injury lawyer take the strain of proving liability and pursuing compensation. Your attorney can be a calm, objective voice, helping you make good decisions based on accurate legal guidance.
Personal injury lawyers can handle the frustrating negotiations with insurance adjusters and take the pressure if your case goes to trial. Your personal injury attorney also has the qualifications and experience to advise you on whether a settlement offer is reasonable or not.
Skills and Training
It takes around 7 years to qualify as a personal injury lawyer, so even new lawyers have a lot of learning and experience under their belts. Thus, they are well-qualified to guide you through legal complexities and give you a better chance of obtaining fair compensation.
It is especially important to hire a personal injury attorney in the following situations:
- Serious injuries/permanent disabilities: In such cases, it is important to explore the entire impact of your personal injury. The effects may last for the rest of your life, which means you must pursue compensation that makes provision for ongoing medical treatment, future rehabilitation costs, caretaker salaries, home adaptations, and lost employment opportunities.
- Wrongful death: Wrongful death suits can be complex, as you must build a strong case for the lost wages, lost future income, and pain and suffering to the surviving family members. An experienced personal injury lawyer will consider all legal aspects and give you a better chance of achieving maximum compensation.
- Unclear liability: In personal injury cases involving multiple parties, liability may be very muddled. Car accident cases involving commercial vehicles or when the other driver was not the owner of the car are notoriously complex. Hiring a personal injury lawyer to unravel messy situations can give you a better chance of achieving a fair settlement.
- Comparative negligence: If you were partially at fault for your accident, the insurance company may try to deny your insurance claim. A personal injury lawyer may be able to build a case to recover compensation for you. In Massachusetts, you can seek compensation if you are less than 51 percent liable for your accident.
- Inadequate insurance coverage: If the other party’s insurance coverage is insufficient to cover your losses, it may be difficult to recover fair compensation on your own. A good personal injury lawyer can explore alternative sources of compensation, including suing the other party personally, to try to recover what is owed to you.
A good personal injury lawyer can simplify the legal aspects of your case and help you see a way forward. The legal team does all the heavy lifting for you so you can concentrate on making a good recovery and enjoying life again.
Build a Strong Case
Personal injury lawyers have the resources to undertake a thorough investigation to discover what happened in your accident. A law firm may employ dedicated investigators to gather the evidence to build your case.
Experienced personal injury lawyers may review the following to help them build a strong case:
- Witness statements
- Police reports
- Photographs and video footage
In cases involving serious injuries or unclear liability, a lawyer may work with accident reconstruction specialists to build a picture of what happened. The testimony of these expert witnesses can be used in court to help prove liability.
Calculate fair economic compensation
Additionally, when calculating a fair settlement, personal injury lawyers will investigate the full extent of your injuries. If your injuries have resulted in permanent disability or in wrongful death cases, your lawyer may work with medical and financial expert witnesses.
Medical experts can testify to the extent of your injuries and the medical care and caretaker support you will need for the rest of your life. Financial experts can assist personal injury attorneys in calculating fair settlements that reflect the full extent of your long-term financial needs.
Fight for non-economic compensation
Experienced personal injury lawyers understand that the impact of your accident goes far beyond your physical injuries. Wounds and broken bones may heal quickly, but the psychological scars can linger for a long time. For this reason, a good personal injury lawyer will gather evidence to build a strong case for non-economic compensation.
This may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium or companionship
The right personal injury lawyer can fight for fair compensation that considers the full extent of your past and future suffering caused by your accident.
Local Experience
Do not underestimate the importance of local connections when hiring a personal injury lawyer. Not only will a local attorney have up-to-date knowledge of state laws and local ordinances, but he or she will also have connections with the civil court system and the people who work in it.
Knowing the judges, clerks, and opposition attorneys could give you an advantage. Your personal injury lawyer may know what has worked well in the past or the style of other local lawyers. This could help smooth your way to achieving a favorable outcome in your case.
Meet Filing Deadlines
It is important to start the legal process of seeking compensation within the timeframe set out in the state where your accident occurred. For example, in Massachusetts, personal injury claims must be filed within 3 years. Experienced lawyers can ensure your personal injury lawsuit is filed on time and that you do not miss out on pursuing compensation.
Negotiating Skills
Most personal injury claims do not go to court but are resolved at the negotiating table. Personal injury lawyers negotiate with insurance adjusters or the other party’s legal team to agree on a mutually acceptable settlement. However, this is often easier said than done.
A good personal injury lawyer can build a strong case and use his or her negotiating skills to fight aggressively for a fair settlement. Tenacious personal injury lawyers do not back down until they achieve fair compensation.
Personal injury attorneys also have the experience needed to provide sound legal guidance to their clients. They can advise you whether it is the right time to settle or whether you should go to trial.
Trial Experience
Although most personal injury lawsuits do not go to trial, it is crucial to hire a personal injury lawyer with successful trial experience. Trials require different skills than negotiations.
An effective trial lawyer needs the following skills:
- Careful selection of jurors
- Cross-examining witnesses
- Preparing and delivering compelling arguments to persuade the jurors
The best way to find out about a personal injury lawyer’s trial experience is to ask directly. His or her answers can reveal how confident the attorney is in the courtroom setting and whether he or she has a winning track record. A good personal injury lawyer should be equally adept at fighting for a favorable outcome in court as in negotiating settlements.
Peace of Mind
If you rely on an insurance company to offer a settlement, you will always be anxious that they are undervaluing your personal injury claim. You know they only want to protect themselves and pay out as little as possible. Hiring a personal injury lawyer is the complete opposite.
Personal injury lawyers are 100-percent on your side. They look out for your best interests, which also align with theirs.
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. They get paid a percentage of your compensation if they win and nothing if they lose, so they are fully invested in recovering maximum compensation for you.
Personal injury lawyers work with a legal team that handles every aspect of the case, so you do not have to lift a finger. They will keep you updated as your case develops. The rest of the time, you can sit back and focus on your recovery, knowing your personal injury claim case is in good hands.
No Fee Until You Win
As mentioned, most personal injury law firms go unpaid until and unless they win your case. This means there are no upfront costs for their legal services. This allows you to retain legal counsel even if you do not have the funds to pay at the outset.
Typically, contingency fees are around 33 percent of your net compensation. Massachusetts has laws governing the amount lawyers can charge in medical malpractice cases.
However, it is important to read the small print of any contingency fee agreement you sign. This agreement will set out the percentage the law firm will charge as payment for their work after the case. It is important to check whether you are liable for other payments, such as court fees, that you may also have to pay. You must also check whether you are liable for any costs, such as the defendant’s legal costs, if your case is unsuccessful.
Choose a Law Firm With a Record of Success
Now that you have decided to entrust your personal injury case to a law firm, it is crucial to choose the right one. In Massachusetts, there is an obvious choice – Kiley Law Group. Headed up by “The Million-Dollar Man,” Tom Kiley, we have recovered over $1 billion in compensation for our clients over more than 40 years.
Our personal injury lawyers are compassionate with our clients yet aggressive when pursuing fair compensation. Over the years, we have represented thousands of personal injury victims who have been hurt in car crashes, in slip-and-fall accidents, by medical malpractice, by defective products, and in other ways. Whatever your situation, we are ready to discuss your case and provide insightful legal guidance.
One call could set you on the road to justice. Schedule a free case evaluation by calling (978) 965-3228 or filling out our contact form today.
Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash
