When Should I Call a Personal Injury Attorney?

When Should I Call a Personal Injury Attorney? When most people suffer injuries in accidents, they don't first think to sue someone. Their focus is on medical treatment and recovery, getting back to work, and other practical, immediate concerns. However, practical concerns can and should include whether you are entitled to compensation for your injuries. While you might consider simply negotiating with the responsible party’s insurance company yourself, that insurance company might not want to play ball and admit responsibility. Personal injury accidents do not lend themselves to self-representation. The complex circumstances surrounding personal injuries from accidents require investigative and legal experience most people simply don’t have. Different aspects of the law can apply in various types of personal injury cases. Different types of accidents involve different standards and determinations of negligence. Automobile negligence, products liability, premises liability, medical malpractice, and other situations that result in personal injuries may involve different standards of what constitutes negligence. Proving a case may require knowledge of medicine, building codes, physics, engineering or other fields of expertise. An attorney experienced in a particular type of accidental injury will know how to provide that necessary proof and expert testimony.  

Factors to Consider When Deciding Whether to Hire a Lawyer to Help Settle Your Claim

A federal study indicates that the economic cost of traffic accidents nationwide was more than $242 billion in 2010. This included the lifetime economic costs for nearly 33,000 fatalities, four-million injuries, and 24 million vehicles destroyed or damaged. When issues such as quality-of-life are included, the total cost from motor vehicle crashes in 2010 was $836 billion. About 54 percent of those costs fall on private insurers. This doesn’t even include accidents other than traffic accidents. The bottom line is that insurance companies don’t want to pay out more than they must. If you are injured in an accident, you might find that your post-accident claim is against your own insurance company or the insurer for the responsible party. Either way, consider these points:

• Insurance companies try to minimize payouts:  Payments for accidents are losses for insurance companies. Insurance adjusters will attempt to minimize those payments, giving you the least amount of money they can.
• Insurance companies do not want lawyers involved: If an attorney represents a claimant, insurance companies know the claim likely will cost them more.
• The insurance company’s goal is to minimize losses: The claims adjuster is an experienced negotiator. Going up against an experienced claim negotiator means you should have an experienced negotiator of your own to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Most people aren’t involved in many accidents that involve substantial damage claims. When you are, though, it pays to have someone on your side who is experienced in such negotiations and who knows how to evaluate the true value of your claim.  

If You Suffered a Personal Injury in the Richmond area, Contact the Personal Injury Lawyers of Emroch & Kilduff

If you suffered an injury in an accident in the Richmond area, consult a personal injury attorney to determine your rights under the particular circumstances of your situation. You might be entitled to compensation. The lawyers of Emroch & Kilduff specialize in personal injury law. They can protect your rights and obtain just compensation in these situations. Reach us at (804) 358-1568 or through our online contact form.