So, you've had a
car accident and you are wondering if you should hire a personal injury attorney or not? If you've just been injured in an accident through no fault of your own, you are probably wondering whether or not you should do one of the two following:
- Should I hire a personal injury attorney?
- Should I just contact the other driver's insurance company and try to negotiate a settlement for my medical bills and property damage?
There are FIVE things you should consider before making this decision:
One: Will I be able to talk with someone at the insurance company that cares about me? We've all heard the great slogans such as "like a good neighbor", "you're in good hands" and "go for your dreams, we'll protect it", but the reality is, you will be dealing with a corporate insurance company. Like all corporations, they are in the business of making profits for their shareholders. The way they accomplish this is to eliminate and/or minimize payments for both bodily injury and property damage claims for car accidents.
Two: "Will and how will I know what information I need to maximize the value of my claim?" For instance, can you answer the following questions?
- What is an initial and final medical report and what information should they contain?
- How does medical billing work and the effect of health insurance payments or coverage have on the "reasonable of medical services"?
- What a reasonable amount should be for "general damages" for pain and suffering and what types of information maximizes this value?
While all of this information should be straightforward, it is not always. When you are dealing with a corporate insurance bureaucracy bent on minimizing the value of a claim, they have number crunchers and the matter gets more and more complicated.
Three: "If I decide to hire a lawyer, will I have to pay him/her up front to represent me? No. The attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm work on a contingency basis. Simply, this means that you do not pay any front fees or costs for legal representation.
Our attorneys handle the expenses for representing you and working up the case. If that includes investigations and depositions, you do not pay anything up front. "Contingent" means our attorneys only take a fee if they are able to settle or try your case successfully. So, you have no up front legal costs. Contingency works in your favor. Our attorneys work hard to get the compensation you deserve so they will get paid as well.
Four: Many wonder, "Will I really end up with more net money if I get a lawyer"? The Insurance Resource Council, a non-profit organization financially supported by the insurance industry has done studies which indicate that, even after accounting for attorney's fees, parties who are represented by counsel, on average, net about 3 and 1/2 times more money from personal injury settlements.
Five: "Would I be better off concentrating on getting back healthy or hassling with insurance claims"? Classic question as getting back into good health is the top priority for you! Why not do both? The greatest benefit of hiring a personal injury attorney to handle your injury claim is the peace of mind that it brings. Rather than dealing with claims adjusters, medical billing companies, doctor and hospital records departments, investigators and many other issues that need to be addressed for a bodily injury claim, the attorney will handle all of that and You focus on your medical treatment and recovery.
How do I best choose a personal injury attorney that cares about me and doesn't treat me like just another case/pay check?
Do your research. There is a lot of information out there about local attorneys in your area. Read what kinds of things we have to say. Look at the kind of information they share. Make phone calls. You never really know if an attorney is going to care about you or be interested in your situation until you talk to one. Base your decision on reputation, experience, results. At The Cagle Law Firm, we do not take thousands of cases each year, but the cases we take are important to us and we feel honored to get to know each and every client. We have been representing victims of accidents for over a decade. We have the settlement and trial results that you want when you are looking for legal representation.
Our goal is that you get better medically and get the compensation that You deserve.
Our attorneys are available seven days a week to talk to you about your particular accident and the impact it has had on your life. We represent victims of car and truck accidents in Missouri and Illinois. Call toll free (800) 685-3302 or locally (314) 276-1681 for your free consultation today.