One common question that people have after being involved in an accident where they are injured is, “Is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney?” While hiring a personal injury lawyer is completely optional, there are numerous benefits you gain when you have legal representation from a qualified attorney in Tampa, Florida.
How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help?
A personal injury attorney can help in several ways after a car accident, slip-and-fall accident, or other accident where you sustain personal injuries as a result of another’s negligence, including:
An Attorney Will Handle All the Details of Your Case
From the free initial consultation through the conclusion of your case, your attorney will explain all the details and what to expect. They will answer your questions, provide an estimated value of your case, and offer legal advice on how best to proceed.
Should you decide to retain their services, they will handle all paperwork for your personal injury claim, including filing it with the insurance company and court. They are also aware of any deadlines related to your case, such as the statute of limitations.
Throughout the claims process, you will receive regular communications with your personal injury lawyer until a suitable settlement can be reached. Obtaining help from an attorney also allows you to focus on healing and recovery instead of the added stress and complexities you can encounter when attempting to get compensation for your injuries.
A Lawyer Will Build Your Case
Another benefit of hiring a personal injury lawyer in Tampa, Florida, for your injuries is they handle all aspects of building your case against the responsible party. The first thing they will do is gather evidence from you, police reports, medical reports, and other sources.
The evidence they gather helps them show a duty of care was not carried out by the responsible party. A duty of care means that the other person had a responsibility to not cause you injury either through the actions or lack of actions. When they do not do this, the next step is to prove their duty was not upheld.
Your lawyer will also establish cause and effect, meaning their actions directly impacted you and resulted in your injuries. For example, you were sitting at a red light, and the driver behind you was distracted because they were texting and rear-ended you. The impact sent your vehicle out into the intersection, where it was hit by another vehicle.
Additionally, they will establish as a result of the accident, you experienced actual damages from your injuries, such as loss of income and medical bills. Each of these aspects is essential to building a solid case against the responsible party and establishing their negligence.
An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Will Help Ensure You Get Maximum Compensation
Many people mistakenly assume they will get more money if they attempt to negotiate an insurance settlement without the help of a personal injury attorney in Tampa, Florida. However, that is not the case.
A report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC), from 2012, found that car accident injury victims received settlements that were, on average, three and a half times larger compared to people who negotiated their own settlement without help from a lawyer. These findings still hold true today.
For example, let’s assume the insurance company is offering you a settlement of $15,000. With a personal injury attorney, your settlement would be $52,500. If your lawyer collected 33% as their legal fees, you would still walk away with $34,650, which is almost $20,000 more than you would have gotten trying to settle your injury claim with the insurance company on your own.
As you can see, hiring an experienced personal injury attorney will ensure you get maximum compensation. It is important to remember this is just an example, and the actual dollar amounts for your personal injury claim can and do vary based on factors unique to your injuries and particular case.
If You Have Been Injured, Give Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, a Call
Don’t leave money on the table you are entitled to by going at it alone. Ensure you receive maximum compensation for your injuries from the negligent party by getting help from Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, in Tampa, Florida. We offer a free case evaluation and consultation with free legal advice. We also do not collect any fees unless we reach a suitable settlement.
Sources:
Attorney Involvement in Auto Injury Claims. (2014).
McDuffey, T. (2023). Starting a Personal Injury Claim.