Do I Need a Personal Injury Attorney?

The Importance of A Personal Injury Lawyer 

If you have been injured in an accident, the aftermath can be confusing as you attempt to recover from your injuries while also trying to figure out your next steps. You may also be trying to figure out whether you will need a lawyer or whether you may be able to handle your claim by yourself. In many cases, your best option may be to speak to a personal injury attorney about pursuing a lawsuit for any compensation you may be entitled to as a result of your accident.

Importantly, it is almost always a good idea to at least consult with an experienced lawyer to better understand your legal options and to decide whether you should hire an attorney to help you pursue your claim. Further, there are also individual factors that may increase the need for you to hire a skilled personal injury lawyer to give you the best chance of successfully seeking the compensation you may deserve.

Some key factors that indicate when you need a personal injury attorney include:

There are multiple parties involved in the accident

Many accidents, such as a multi-vehicle collision, may involve multiple parties, making it more challenging to prove who is at fault for the accident and liable for your injuries. Here, a skilled lawyer may be able to investigate your accident and gather evidence proving which party or parties may be responsible for the accident. Meanwhile, your lawyer may also often find other parties who may be liable for your injuries, such as the other driver’s employer in a car accident or the manufacturer or retailer who sold the vehicle with defective brakes.

Liability may be difficult to prove

In some cases, liability may be more difficult to prove, as there may not have been any witnesses, and there is not much available evidence from the scene of the accident. In these situations, the other party’s insurer will almost certainly attempt to blame you for the accident and avoid liability for your injuries. An experienced lawyer may be able to help you avoid taking the blame for the accident while helping you gather the necessary evidence to pursue compensation from the other party.

You were seriously injured

If you were seriously injured in the accident, you should immediately contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer can handle your case while you focus on recovering from your injuries. Meanwhile, hiring an attorney may be crucial in helping you prevent extreme financial distress for your family. Cases involving severe injuries may often be complex as you will need to thoroughly prove the extent of your damages and the medical expenses you have incurred as well as the cost of any necessary future treatment.

If any of these factors apply to your accident, it may often be worth it to hire a lawyer. You should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer like Michael J. Brennan to take advantage of his years of experience to help you pursue any compensation you may be entitled to.

How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer for You

There are often several helpful steps to take when deciding which lawyer may be the best fit for your needs. You may contact each attorney and ask several key questions, such as:

• How many cases like mine have you handled before, and how many have you won?
  • Many personal injury lawyers practice in multiple areas, but you should make sure the attorney has experience handling several cases similar to yours before. Often, experience in the specific location, especially more complex practice areas like medical malpractice, may help the attorney be more aware of the law’s nuances.
• Do you think I will win my case? If so, how much do you think it may be worth?
  • Any attorney will often answer this question vaguely. However, an experienced lawyer should be able to offer you some broad estimate on your possible chances for success on your claim and may also help provide you with a rough estimate for how much your case may be worth.
• Who will handle my case? Will it be you or some other attorney in your office?
  • You should always be sure to know who exactly will be handling your case. In many law firms, especially the larger firms, your case may be handed to a more junior associate.
• How much trial experience do you have?
  • Trial experience is often crucial in personal injury cases, even though most cases never reach trial. Often, insurance companies will respect lawyers with trial experience more while offering lower settlement offers to attorneys with less trial experience or who may seem too eager to avoid trial.
• How much will I owe you?
  • Finally, you should always be sure to understand the fee structure with your attorney before you hire them. Personal injury attorneys usually work on a contingency fee basis, which means they will be paid a certain percentage of the compensation they help you receive