Many people handle straightforward claims independently and think they save on legal fees. Still, severe cases often benefit from the experience and knowledge of an experienced personal injury attorney.
Personal injury claims cover various situations and different types of accidents. You may have been injured in a car accident, slipped or fell on someone else’s property, or have been bitten by a neighbor’s dog.
All of these things are considered personal injuries, and the extent of the injury can make a big difference in claim processing. In other cases, you may seek the advice and assistance of a qualified attorney to address your concerns.
dog bites lawyers in Philadelphia, PA, immediately after the accident to get advice.
You can act without a lawyer when you have been the victim of a car accident without injuries (or very minor); one of the most common cases is car accident injuries. Someone could crash at low speed and cause minor damage to your vehicle, and injuries to you or your fellow travelers could result in multiple visits to the doctor.
Filing a complaint with your insurance company or the other person is usually adequate compensation to cover the cost of repairing your car and medical expenses caused by the accident.
If this is the case and you are satisfied with the insurance coverage and benefits, you do not have to call an attorney or seek legal advice, but it is certainly always advisable to do so.
Some case studies
Since you are limited to reimbursing damages for your protection with a no-fault claim, hiring a minor injury attorney may not make sense here. However, if there is a chance that your injuries are “serious” enough to hire an attorney, it is a good idea.
Paying up to your policy limits means that if the defendant who hurt you has an insurance policy of no more than US$100,000 and they offer you a US$100,000 settlement, it may not help. The additional dollars provided by the insurer would have to be collected directly from the defendant.
In many cases, however, the insurance company’s interests are on par with yours – their primary goal is to receive the highest possible compensation to pay you back for your situation.
Contract for representation services of a personal injury attorney
The documents appear as small as possible to have more profit since almost all personal injury attorneys are working on an emergency.
Your injury attorney will not receive money or legal fees unless you win the case or negotiate a settlement. Contingency fee agreements work by allowing the attorney to claim damages out of your contract.
The agreement is structured around a percentage of the money you will receive.
For example
The contract may stipulate that the attorney will receive 30% if he reaches an agreement before filing a lawsuit, 1/3 if he gets a deal after the lawsuit but during the preliminary investigation, or 40 percent if the case is taken to court and compensation paid out by a jury.
In other words, the injury attorney you choose to take your injury case to a judge will receive payment for their fees once it is ruled that you have won the case. As the paragraph above explains, it will be a percentage according to the amount obtained.