Why You Need A Personal Injury Attorney
Have you been involved in an accident? Then you need to talk to a personal injury attorney before you speak with an insurance adjuster. The insurance adjuster is hired by the insurance company to ensure that the company pays you as little as possible for your personal injury claim. So, you need to know how to find a personal injury attorney that will fight for your rights.
You also need to know how to evaluate your attorney’s expertise and qualifications. Finally, you need to know how to negotiate an attorney’s fee contract in a manner that is fair to all involved. So, you really need to take a moment to read this short article so that you can hire a personal injury attorney that will represent your best interest.
I will bet that you did not know that the insurance adjuster has a responsibility to the insurance company to settle your claim for as little as possible. In fact, many adjusters have a whole host of tactics designed to drag out your claim and weight the evidence in favor of the insurance company. The most common tactic is to contact you quickly after the accident in order to get a statement from you. This is called “locking you in.” Adjusters know that many accident victims do not realize the extent of their injuries until well after the accident. By getting a statement early, the victim might omit certain injuries that are not yet apparent.
Furthermore, adjusters attempt to drag out the handling of the claim because they know that, over time, evidence gets lost, you might miss important deadlines and, most of all, you will give up and settle. Now, do you understand how to find a personal injury attorney.
Personal injury attorneys practice a specialized form of civil trial law. Many states recognize personal injury law as a specialization or certification. So, finding a personal injury attorney using the telephone book or television commercial is not a good idea. Instead, find an attorney by asking for a referral from a trusted friend or relative.
Instead, contact a trusted friend or relative that has used a personal injury attorney in the past. Then, further research the attorney on the internet by finding law firm websites, attorney rating services and state bar websites. Once you have found a potential candidate, you need to meet with him to learn the extent of his experience and expertise. You also should evaluate whether the firm has the resources to handle a costly personal injury case. Once you have found a personal injury attorney that you like, you need to engage in an open and honest discussion about attorney’s fees.
The contingency fee puts the best personal injury attorneys within reach of every American. Under a contingency fee arrangement, the attorney pays the costs of litigation up front and the client pays nothing. When the case settles, the attorney recovers his costs plus a percentage (33% to 40%) of the net proceeds. If the case is lost, the client owes nothing.
If the case has questionable merit, the attorney might offer to take the case on a modified contingency fee. In this instance, the client will front a portion of the costs as a retainer. If the case settles, the client gets his costs first and then the balance is split between the attorney and the client. The client should demand that the attorney take a smaller percentage as attorney’s fees because he or she is not taking all of the risk in the event of a loss. Lastly, if the attorney does not believe the case has merit, he should tell you so. Filing a frivolous personal injury claim can cause you and the attorney to be sanctioned.
Now you understand why it is so important to find a personal injury attorney to represent you when you have been injured in an accident. Do not speak with an insurance adjuster until you have talked with a personal injury attorney first. But, avoid selecting attorneys by television or telephone advertisements. Instead, seek the referral of a trusted friend or relative and follow up with extensive research on the internet.
Discuss the attorney’s method of compensation early and get the agreement in writing. So, put this information to use and you should be able to find a personal injury attorney that will maximize the recovery for you and your family.
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