When you have suffered an injury in an accident that was the fault of another, you may have the legal right to a substantial amount of financial compensation. The prerequisite is that you go through a legal process that involves filing a claim with the responsible party’s insurance company, filing a lawsuit against them in court, or both. You should do this with the help of a personal injury attorney because you stand little chance of a favorable result if you try to handle matters on your own.
You should never deal with an insurance company until you have legal representation. However, you cannot control when the insurance company tries to contact you, so hiring a Mississippi personal injury lawyer as soon as possible is important. Your legal rights are always on the line, beginning the moment after your accident. One mistake can hamstring your case and either keep you from receiving payment for your injuries or result in a much smaller check than you deserve.
When you speak to a personal injury attorney, they will never charge you for the initial conversation, and you do not pay them a single dollar for their services unless you get paid yourself. Then, they will receive an agreed-on percentage from the proceeds of your case. Until then, you do not need to write any checks from your account and will receive no bills. Thus, getting legal help in your personal injury case comes at no financial risk to you.
You Always Need a Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Case
You can consider when to hire a personal injury lawyer in two different ways. The first part of the question is which cases may require you to hire a personal injury attorney. You need legal representation if you have suffered an injury and seek financial compensation. You cannot know how the legal process works and the tricks that insurance companies may use to cost you money. You also do not have the capacity to handle many details when you have severe injuries, especially when you may be out of your depth.
You will likely do better financially when you get legal help than when you try to handle matters independently. Study after study shows that people who hire personal injury attorneys have more money in their pocket, even after paying the lawyer their part of the settlement or award. Hiring a personal injury lawyer can even increase the chances that you will qualify for a settlement in the first place.
It always helps to have someone well-versed in the law because the personal injury claims process is legal. Even if you think there is no question about who was at fault for the accident, you should never assume anything. First, the insurance company may try to blame you for what happened, which reduces or eliminates your compensation entirely. Second, you may have a much more difficult fight to receive the compensation you deserve. Getting a settlement check can be a loss if it is for less than the full amount you deserve because you may leave money on the table.
You Should Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer As Soon As Possible
There is also a key question of when to hire a personal injury attorney for your case. You may hesitate to start the legal process, knowing it can introduce another layer of stress during an already challenging time. However, you do not need to immerse yourself in the details of the situation when you hire a personal injury attorney. All you need to do is sign a representation agreement that hires the lawyer, and they will immediately get to work on your case.
To understand why the timing of hiring a personal injury lawyer is critical, you need to know what can happen in the early days after the accident. The only way to qualify for financial compensation is to prove that someone else was negligent. The operative word here is “prove;” if you lack the evidence that shows what happened in the accident, you may end up empty-handed.
However, the evidence you need to prove your case will only be available for so long. Like any legal matter, your case can become “cold” at a certain point in time when you lose critical evidence. Losing the proof you need for your case can take as little as a few days. Besides that, evidence might be in the hands of the responsible party, and they may fail to preserve it or even do something worse. They need someone to direct them to maintain the evidence before a potential legal case, which is a task that your personal injury attorney will perform as soon as you hire them. In addition, your personal injury lawyer will conduct an extensive investigation while the evidence you need for your case may still be available. It can be exceedingly difficult for an attorney to investigate if you hire them too late.
Your Financial Situation Depends On It
Your financial situation after a personal injury is murky at best. Until you can receive a settlement check for your injuries, you may struggle to pay the mounting bills that are in front of you. Insurance companies will not write you a check more quickly just because you waited some time to approach them. Your case will take the same time, regardless of when you begin the legal process. In the meantime, you may be struggling financially because of an inability to work like you did before the injury.
The sooner you hire a personal injury lawyer, the quicker there may be a pathway to the check that can help resolve your financial issues, putting you in a much better situation overall. While you may always struggle to stay afloat financially while your case is pending, legal representation can shorten the duration of your financial difficulties.
Your Personal Injury Attorney Must Prepare to File Your Claim
Your personal injury attorney cannot immediately file a claim or lawsuit on your behalf. They must do a certain amount of preparation to ensure you put your strongest case forward first. Not only do they need to investigate the accident, but they will also have to work to quantify your damages. They cannot even do the legwork on that aspect of your case until you reach the point of maximum medical improvement. It is vital to have a personal injury attorney in place so they can move on your behalf when you are ready.
It may take a considerable amount of time to resolve your case, whether it is through a settlement agreement or a trial. There are many things about the legal process that you cannot control, such as how the insurance company may respond to your claim. There is one step that only you can take to help move the process forward, and that is to hire a personal injury lawyer.
Even though it may be some time until you are ready to move forward legally, your personal injury attorney can at least begin the preparatory work, so you are in a better position to move when the time comes.
The Insurance Company May Try to Take Advantage of You
There will almost always be an insurance company that is part of your case (unless the responsible party is a large company that self-insures). Insurance companies have motivations that are often the opposite of yours. You should think of them as your adversaries because they are the ones who you will face off with in court if you have to file a lawsuit.
Insurance companies have all sorts of tricks that they use to try to limit their responsibility when their policyholder is at fault for your injuries. One way they may try to gain the upper hand is to approach you immediately after the accident. They may attempt to discuss the case with you to get your own words on the record. Insurance companies never use these words to accept fault for the accident and will use them against you if they try to contest liability.
Alternatively, insurance companies may try to pressure you into a settlement before you know the full value of your case, and you may sign an agreement with them before you know your case’s accurate picture. By that time, it is too late to do anything about it.
You can avoid these problems by hiring a personal injury lawyer right after your accident. Then, the insurance company must speak to your lawyer instead of trying to go through you. With a skilled attorney by your side, you have someone who can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and fight for your rights. They will ensure that the insurance company does not take advantage of you and that you receive fair compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, lost earnings, and other damages. Early legal help safeguards against mistakes that can hurt your case and compromise your legal rights.
You Have a Limited Amount of Time to File a Claim or Lawsuit
Each state has laws called the statute of limitations, and the effect of this law is that you have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit. The period may differ in each state, although the impact of this law is the same everywhere. If you miss the deadline to file a lawsuit, you will lose the right to seek financial compensation entirely. It does not matter whether you miss the deadline by a day or a year.
Even if you have two years to file a lawsuit, it does not mean that you should wait that long to begin the legal process. You may have fewer options if you do not hire a lawyer quickly, and you may not have as much time to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company. Many accident victims may file a lawsuit close to the expiration of the statute of limitations but only after they have gone through the claims process and negotiations with the insurance company.
If you wait too long to hire a personal injury attorney, you may need to begin your case directly in court, taking away the chance to resolve your claim informally.
Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer Gives You Peace of Mind
Even though you may have an idea that you have the legal right to financial compensation, reaching that point can involve a fair amount of stress. Given your health and economic situation, you already have enough worries. Things can become far worse when you are alone in the fight. Just the uncertainty of the legal process can add to your angst during an already difficult time.
Although there is no guarantee of financial compensation in a personal injury case, you can be confident of one thing: When you hire a personal injury attorney, you have someone in your corner whose job it is to fight for you. Although you will still need to deal with the insurance company, you will not have to do this alone. While nothing can put your mind entirely at ease, hiring a personal injury lawyer at least gives you the knowledge that someone will stand up for your legal rights.
A personal injury lawyer can provide valuable advice and guidance throughout the entire process. They can answer any questions, explain your legal rights and options, and guide you in making informed decisions. Dealing with a personal injury can be overwhelming, both emotionally and financially. A compassionate and knowledgeable attorney can provide you with the support and peace of mind you need during this challenging time.
Hiring a personal injury lawyer is essential when dealing with a personal injury case. They bring knowledge, experience, and legal know-how to your side, protecting your rights and ensuring you receive fair compensation for your damages. Do not hesitate to contact a personal injury lawyer if you have suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence. They are your allies in seeking justice and rebuilding your life after an accident.
