Will I get more settlement money with a personal injury lawyer?
If another person’s negligence caused your accident, then you may wonder if it is worth it to call a personal injury lawyer. On average, accident victims represented by a lawyer receive 3.5 times more in settlement compensation than those without. Also, 85% of the claims that an insurance company settled had legal representation. Read on to find out why accident victims get more settlement money with a personal injury lawyer.
Personal injury lawyers know the insurance companies’ unfair tactics
Insurance companies’ ads would have you believe that they are your friends, but they are only out to make a profit. They will intimidate, trick, and find any possible way to reduce your settlement. They will often say things like:
- You were the one to blame for the accident
- You will not be able to prove the emotional and long-term physical impact of your injury
- Your doctor’s assessment is not permissible, and you must use one of their approved doctors.
They will use every tool they have to make you believe you do not have a claim or drag out the process until you are desperate enough for money that you will settle for less than you deserve.
Your personal injury lawyer’s reputation can significantly affect how seriously the insurance company takes your claim. With an experienced and reputable lawyer on your side, the insurance company will know that fighting the claim will cost a lot in legal fees. This is the kind of cost-benefit analysis insurance companies do; if you do not hire a lawyer, the insurance company does not have to consider legal fees.
Personal injury lawyers know how to calculate pain and suffering
Pain and suffering are non-economic expenses; therefore, putting a number to that yourself is difficult. However, a skilled car accident lawyer will have the experience to put a number to your pain and suffering and defend it in court.
Generally, most layers will add up your economic damages, such as rehabilitation, lost wages, medical bills, etc. Then they will rank your injuries from 1 to 5 based on the severity and multiply that number by your economic damages. Therefore, if your economic damages were $8,000 in medical bills and $2,000 lost wages and your injuries are ranked as a 3, your pain and suffering damages are $30,000.
Car accident lawyers have experience in assessing the long-term effects of injuries
When car accident victims calculate the costs of their injuries for their insurance claims, they often forget to consider their future costs. Your injuries may need constant physiotherapy or chiropractor appointments to keep your body in working order.
Will your work performance be affected and prevent you from earning bonuses or promotions? A good personal injury lawyer will work with expert doctors and economists to calculate the future costs of your injuries. The attorney will have worked on numerous personal injury cases and will have a good idea of what to look for.
Personal injury lawyers will identify and hold the negligent parties responsible
Liability is not always straightforward in personal injury and car accident cases. Even in cases where a driver ran a red light, the brakes may have malfunctioned, meaning the car manufacturer is the negligent party. If the traffic light was responsible for the accident because it was broken, the government might be responsible. If the driver was drunk, the bar serving the driver might be the negligent driver.
Personal injury lawyers work with a team of experts, including accident recreation specialists, medical experts, and investigators, to ensure they bring all negligent parties to justice.
Trial lawyers are experts in local and federal personal injury laws and will fight for your rights in court
There are often state and federal laws for every situation, meaning that it would be time-consuming to study laws, and you will not be able to represent yourself well enough to get the claim you deserve.
An experienced California personal injury lawyer has spent their professional life becoming experts in:
- The finer details of California and federal personal injury law
- Relevant statutes
- Personal injury legal precedents
- Insurance companies and local judges
If the insurance company refuses a fair settlement, you must take them to court. This will be extremely difficult if you intend to represent yourself. Personal injury lawyers spend their whole professional lives dealing with insurance companies and fighting for their client’s rights in court.
If your lawyer does not win, you will not pay
Most California personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis which means that instead of paying your lawyer upfront, they will receive a percentage of the settlement they win. This means you are not out of pocket for legal fees following an accident and can hire the best car accident lawyer to maximize your compensation. If the car accident lawyer does not win your case, you will not have to pay them.
