Nearly 70% of domestic lawsuits are handled without a lawyer, but personal injury law is highly technical. Representing yourself leaves you swimming in open waters without a boat or a sail.
If you’ve suffered an injury on the road due to someone else’s negligence, your trial will be fraught with complexity and with stressful pressure.
You’ll need to face more than just the negligent party. Their insurers, witnesses, and experts will all push for one overarching goal: to leave you without compensation.
For example, drivers residing in Florida can seek compensation from their insurer for minor injuries, regardless of who caused the mishap. Florida is a “no-fault” state in terms of auto insurance. Victims can specifically file a claim with their necessary Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance.
Hiring an attorney is recommended to help navigate the legal processes.
No worries – I’m here to help you to pick the right one!
As you might know, I am a bestselling personal development author.
Plus I founded a groundbreaking video course called The Anxiety Cure.
I love sharing tools to help people live their happiest lives.
With this mind, I created this article all about how to choose the best auto accident attorney for injury claims.
An auto accident attorney offers several key benefits.
1. They’ll Save You Time
Self-representation during a court case is called pro se litigation, requiring you to handle all your paperwork, filing fees, and summonses.
- Each piece of red tape must be delivered in the correct format.
- You must investigate who you’re best off suing and what losses you can expect.
- You’ll need to build a solid defense against insurance agents and collect your own physical evidence.
This is exceedingly time-consuming, particularly if you’re on a sharp learning curve. At best, you’re liable to file the incorrect number of copies or mishandle your fees. At worst, you’ll short-change yourself by negotiating bad settlements. For example, if you’re a resident of Orlando, FL, visiting a qualified auto accident attorney in Orlando is recommended.
2. They Know Who’s Liable
Working out whom to sue is more complicated than you might think. Car accidents can have complex liabilities that incorporate insurers, manufacturers, drivers, and more. A lawyer will ensure you receive complete compensation by integrating all third-party claims into your lawsuit.
3. They Might be Cheaper than You Think
You might think of self-representation as a money saver, but it comes with its own costs. There’s a reason lawyers charge a premium. Self-representation is expensive. You’ll need to pay high court fees, filing costs, and deposition rates. Subpoenas and transcripts can rack up thousands of dollars.
The rates you pay for your case must weigh properly against your compensation, or you could end up in the red. A good auto accident attorney will assess that balance long before they issue the first summons. They’ll calculate your expected compensation and ensure you have a reasonable chance of success. Before shelling out expensive fees, you’ll know if your case will be worthwhile. Don’t think of lawyers’ fees as an expense. They’re an investment with genuine returns.
4. A Mistake Could Define Your Future
It takes six or seven years to become a lawyer. This isn’t an easy industry, so if you’re new to self-representation, you’re liable to make mistakes that could have a dire impact on your future. A successful claim will give you the healthcare and income you need to survive a challenging setback. If your auto accident left you jobless or disabled, losing your case could affect your quality of life years or even decades into the future.
5. You’ll Have a Comprehensive Idea of Your Compensation
Damages are the monetary compensation you’ll receive if your case is successful. There are three categories:
- Economic damages refer to work losses, productivity failures, healthcare costs, etc.
- Non-economic damages refer to the losses you’ve experienced through pain, suffering, disability, and quality of life.
- Punitive damages are added to compensatory damages and are considered a punishment. They’re awarded when the defendant’s negligence is particularly harmful.
A legal professional will have the knowledge to identify every loss you’ve suffered. That information isn’t always intuitive or obvious. You might be able to easily itemize your lost work hours or medical costs, but it takes a professional eye to calculate compensation for disfigurement, suffering, and loss of consortium.
6. You’re Less Likely to Take Blame
In certain states, contributory negligence laws could eat away at your compensation. The more blame you carry, the less compensation you’ll receive. This is complicated terrain. If you share responsibility for your accident, you could take more blame than you’re due, so it’s best to have a lawyer at your side to protect you.
Concluding Thoughts on Auto Accident Attorneys
Road accident claims are often complex and challenging to win, but a qualified auto accident attorney will improve your odds of success. Many charge contingency fees, so you can forge ahead without upfront costs and write off the expenses if you lose. You simply can’t put a dollar value on experience and skill.
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