After suffering an injury caused by another person’s negligence, it is not unusual for a victim to want to hold the responsible party accountable. However, all sorts of negative thoughts can flood the injured individual’s mind and produce a sense of fear that may keep the victim from speaking with a legal representative. This can leave the injured party hurting financially, drowning in medical bills, and suffering from lost wages. Fear of the unknown can create an emotional paralysis that prevents the victim from receiving deserved compensation for ongoing physical challenges resulting from a defective product, an accident, or perhaps a dangerous medication.
This article will review why an injured victim should have an attorney to help file a lawsuit against the negligent parties that caused them to suffer injuries.
Hiring an Attorney for Legal Representation
No law says an injury victim must have an attorney to file a personal injury claim. An individual can file all necessary paperwork at the courthouse, then by his or her representative throughout the court proceedings. However, this is not usually the best-case scenario to ensure that the victim receives fair compensation.
For example, an expert witness is often needed to help prove particular points in legal cases. Plus, having a skilled individual with the knowledge necessary to sort through and accurately evaluate documents can prove invaluable in winning a lawsuit. The amount of evidence that must be sought, discovered, and presented in court can be massive. Also, the complexity of court procedures and rules that must be followed in presenting a case can be intimidating to the average person. There are motions to file and objections to be raised. The negotiation phase can make or break a case, and leverage must be maintained to achieve an equitable and just settlement in a personal injury case.
Then, there’s the behemoth insurance company to face, the one whose representatives don’t get rewarded for giving away the company’s money to accident victims. The legal professionals hired by these insurers get paid large amounts to minimize the outlay of company funds. Most accident victims have never entirely read through an insurance company’s policy, much less faced-off with a company representative who knows every word of it.
However, an experienced personal injury attorney is very familiar with the ins and outs of handling all pre-trial processes, adeptly presenting the facts at trial, negotiating for a sizable settlement, and pushing for the highest amount of compensation possible. The average accident victim would likely be too overwhelmed if shown upfront the number of responsibilities to be faced in a personal injury trial. However, a skilled and knowledgeable lawyer “sits on ready” to begin working on a promising outcome right away.
What Qualifications Should a Skilled Personal Injury Lawyer Have?
The law degree hanging on the wall of a successful attorney’s office carries with it a great deal of training, diligence, analysis, and hard work. A successful personal injury lawyer knows how to intently listen to a client to catch the small details in their story that can help their case. The attorney will likely choose to visit the accident scene, speak with witnesses, and thoroughly gather all possible information and evidence to then sift through all of it to discover potentially hidden information that will help strengthen a case. Of course, the best personal injury attorneys keep their clients fully informed of all actions taking place along the way.
The following is a listing of many characteristics found in a skilled injury attorney:
- Personally handles the case
- Listens carefully and quickly responds to a client’s questions and needs
- Gathers and evaluates all crucial evidence
- Properly documents and accurately calculates a client’s losses
- Correctly file all paperwork, court documents, and insurance claims
- Interviews all accident witnesses
- Faithfully and effectively represents a client’s interests when negotiating
- Properly fields all settlement offers
A highly skilled attorney with a proven track record can help alleviate concerns and reassure clients while a lawsuit weaves its way through the court process.
Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer
When looking for the right lawyer, some people find it helpful to search online and list potential choices. Others look through listings and ads in the phone book. Still, others want to get a personal referral from a friend or loved one who has had success with a similar legal issue.
Once a list of potential lawyers is made, it should be relatively simple to set up an initial consultation with each one. Frequently, this service will be free of charge. By sharing this type of interaction and discussing the case with each prospective lawyer, an injury victim can more easily pinpoint which attorney is the one that the victim can trust with the case.
Time Limit for Filing
Time limits exist for filing a lawsuit in federal or state court. These deadlines are in place to ensure that evidence’s integrity is preserved and keep individuals from threatening a lawsuit forever. The “statute of limitations” determines the allowable time frame. If this deadline passes without a claim being filed, an individual could be barred from seeking compensation.
Costs of Hiring an Attorney
Because many accident victims cannot afford an attorney if required to pay upfront, an alternate payment method was developed, the contingency fee method. With this payment method, the attorney does not require payment upfront and agrees to accept a percentage of the final settlement amount or court award.
Many injury victims, however, still face mounting medical bills and other costs from the accident. While a settlement from the lawsuit will help pay for these expenses, plaintiffs will not receive any money right away. The legal process will likely take months or even years before any compensation is deposited into their bank accounts.
Fortunately, there are legal funding options to help plaintiffs pay their bills while they wait for their settlement.
Are You Looking to Hire a Lawyer But Need Cash Now?
If you were injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence and are facing expensive medical bills and car repairs because of the accident, contact The Legal Funding Group. We provide cash advances to plaintiffs who have filed a personal injury lawsuit.
After acquiring a contingency fee personal injury lawyer and successfully filing your lawsuit, our team can help you find financial relief with pre-settlement funding. No repayment on your lawsuit loan is required until you win your case. If your case is lost, you don’t owe us anything.
Contact us today to learn more about services and how you can receive money while waiting for your settlement.
