Common Misconceptions About Personal Injury Cases
MISCONCEPTION #1: I can settle my case without hiring a lawyer.
If you’re happy with the amount of money the insurance company offers for your car — and if you’re happy to have your medical bills paid — then you’re right. You don’t need to hire a lawyer.
Still, it’s important that you understand what you’re entitled to. In most cases, you are entitled to more than merely payment to cover your medical bills and repairs to your car. That’s why I urge you to talk with a lawyer over the telephone before you accept an insurance company’s offer.
When you speak with a Richmond personal injury attorney, you’ll learn that a lawyer can help you in a number of ways. First, he or she can help you get your car repaired. Second, he or she can help you get the fair value for your car. Third, he or she can help you get a fast settlement on your car. Your lawyer takes the hassle out of dealing with the insurance company. And, in our office, we provide all these services for our clients at NO CHARGE.
Remember, a lawyer is there to fight for your best interests. The insurance company is looking out for their own interests and it is in the best interest of the insurance company to pay you the smallest amount possible for your claim.
Adjusters are extensively trained to handle claims and the people that are making the claims. They may ask you to do things that are not in your best interest that actually hurt your claim. If you don’t have a lawyer, you may not know your legal rights and may fall victim to the adjusters ploys.
Studies done by the insurance companies show that claimants that hire a lawyer get three times as much money for their claim. Plus the lawyer performs other services for you. These include dealing with the insurance company adjuster, getting medical bills and records from your doctors and making sure that all legal deadlines are met and all legal rules are followed.
The worst thing that can happen is that you don’t get all the money from your claim that you are entitled to receive. Hiring a lawyer early in your claim will help you avoid making the mistakes that decrease the value of your case.