You must hire a personal injury attorney if you are involved in a personal injury case. Contacting a lawyer as soon as possible after the incident will help you maximize your case. An attorney will preserve evidence. Any information provided to them is protected under the attorney-client privilege.
Consultation
Consultation before hiring a personal injury attorney is crucial to the legal process. First, it is a way for the attorney and the client to discuss the case. Consulting is an important step because clients should consider speaking with other lawyers if they don’t feel comfortable with the lawyer.
For instance, speak with a personal injury attorney Seattle to know where your stand. During a consultation, an attorney will review the evidence that will help build a strong case. These may include your medical records and bills. This evidence can help the attorney determine how much you’ve lost and how your injury has impacted you. Moreover, they can contact witnesses to gather information. They can also gather evidence from photographs taken at the scene of the accident to show the extent of property damage.
The majority of personal injury lawyers will provide free consultations. Personal injury claims are frequently intricate and involve numerous accountable parties. You’ll want a lawyer who specializes in personal injury law.
A good personal injury attorney will discuss fees upfront. Many will charge a percentage of the settlement or fixed cost of the case. If a case goes to trial, the percentage could change.
Contacting a personal injury lawyer
After you have been injured in an accident, you should contact a personal injury attorney for advice. Unfortunately, insurance companies often try to discourage victims from contacting personal injury attorneys. However, hiring an attorney can help you get a fair settlement and ease the stress of negotiating with insurance companies.
Insurance adjusters use tactics designed to devalue your claim and avoid paying you. They often deny injury claims for questionable reasons. Your attorney can review your insurance policy and the facts surrounding your accident to determine if your claim is valid. If the insurance company tries to delay payment of your claim for a long time, they are likely using bad faith insurance tactics to dissuade you from hiring a lawyer.
An insurance company will only pay out as much as the policy limits. If you are awarded more money than this, you must collect the additional damages directly from the defendant. Depending on how much the defendant owes you and whether or not they have other assets, pursuing a lawsuit might not be worth it. In these cases, it may be best to settle the case out of court and allow the insurance company to pay you less.
The insurance company will often ask you for substantial evidence to establish your injuries. For example, if you posted pictures of the accident on Facebook, the insurance company could use these posts against you to lower the amount of your claim.
Finding a good personal injury lawyer
There are several factors to consider when choosing a personal injury attorney. First, it’s important to look for lawyers who work on a contingency fee basis, which means they only charge you a percentage of the money they recover in a settlement or trial. This approach is especially helpful if you don’t want to pay for legal services upfront. You also need to consider what kind of injury you’ve suffered. For instance, some lawyers specialize in car accidents, while others handle motorcycle accidents or medical malpractice claims.
The first step is to look for attorneys in your area. Another factor to consider is the experience of the personal injury attorney. You should hire someone who specializes in the type of injury you’ve suffered. The attorney’s experience is important, as they need to understand the medical diagnosis and treatment of severe injuries. If the attorney doesn’t have enough experience, it could lead to the wrong outcome for your case.