30 Jun When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Chico
You have been in a car crash or other type of personal injury accident. Recognizing when to hire a personal injury lawyer is as simple as determining whether you have been hurt. Some injury victims may try to negotiate a settlement with an insurance company or the other party first and only turn to an attorney for help when they feel overwhelmed or stuck.
This approach not only exposes you to needless stress and anxiety, but it could jeopardize your ability to recover full and complete compensation. The better approach is to hire a personal injury attorney as soon as you possibly can following your injury event.
Millions of individuals across the country are hurt in unintentional injury accidents every year. There is no way to know how many of these individuals’ claims and lawsuits could have proceeded much smoother and with fewer complications had the injured victim reached out for legal assistance early in their case.
Why Victims Delay in Hiring a Serious Injury Attorney
Every injury victim and their accident is different, but there are some common reasons why they might put off speaking to an injury claims lawyer. These reasons include the following:
They Are Too Busy
Some may simply not have the time to speak to an attorney immediately after a wreck or accident. Their injuries may have landed them in the hospital, or they may be dealing with a flurry of phone calls from insurance companies and others. Whatever the reason, ask these victims when to hire a personal injury lawyer, and their answer will be, “When things calm down.”
The danger with waiting until things are not as hectic is that such a time may not come in a timely manner. It may be months or years before life gets back to normal. By then, your ability to recover compensation through an insurance claim or lawsuit may be compromised.
Injury Claim Lawyers Cost Too Much
Other victims may believe that it will cost them a considerable amount of money to retain an experienced and qualified attorney. They may be facing medical bills and a reduction in their earning potential. The thought of additional costs and fees may convince them to wait until they really need an attorney’s help before reaching out.
Some lawyers and law firms charge injury victims a retainer and hourly rate for representation. But there are also knowledgeable and skilled personal injury lawyers who offer clients a contingency fee structure. Under such an arrangement, your attorney is paid a percentage of the overall compensation value they recover for you.
If the attorney cannot recover any damages, then you do not owe any attorney’s fees.
They Believe They Can Handle Their Case Themselves
Perhaps an injury victim has the time to hire a lawyer, and they are not concerned about any associated costs. They may still resist seeking legal help because they believe they are more than capable of representing their own interests. They do not see any advantage to bringing an attorney on board.
Successfully receiving compensation following a claim or lawsuit can be deceptively complicated, though. The facts of how your accident happened may be clear to you, but if the other party disputes these facts, it is up to you to prove them.
If a settlement is offered, you may not know how to properly evaluate that offer to determine whether it is adequate and fair. Your injury claims lawyer can handle these and other critical tasks on your behalf.
They May Not Trust a Lawyer for Injury Claims
Finally, some people may believe that lawyers are only out to line their own pockets at their clients’ expenses. Even if they find an attorney offering a contingency fee, an injury victim may believe their attorney will claim an unreasonable percentage of their recovery as their “fee,” leaving them with little or nothing to show for injuries.
The legal profession, though, is held to high ethical standards, including standards that govern how much of your compensation award they can claim as their fees.
The truth is many ethical lawyers, like your Chico personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin, are professionals committed to helping you. They will pursue a resolution that adequately compensates both you and them without putting you at any disadvantage.
Why Now Is When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
There are numerous advantages to seeking out legal help as soon as you possibly can after an accident. These advantages include:
Your Personal Injury Lawyer Handles Insurance Companies for You
First, a common feature of many significant injury cases is calls from insurance companies, adjustors, and attorneys representing the other party.
Even if you feel confident in handling these calls yourself, they can be a nuisance and disruptive to your recovery. Imagine trying to field a call from an attorney’s office while you are still in the hospital.
When you retain legal counsel, though, your attorney becomes your point of contact for anyone needing to speak with you about the accident. This gives you the space and peace of mind you need to focus on your recovery and tending to your family’s needs during this difficult time.
Your Attorney Can Preserve Evidence and Witness Testimony
A person’s memory of an event is freshest close to when the event happened. Thus, the memories of witnesses who may have seen or investigated your accident will be the clearest and most reliable in the days and weeks following your accident. It is crucial that their memories and recollections be preserved during this time before they begin to forget important details.
Similarly, evidence such as photographs of the scene, reports of law enforcement officers, and medical records are easily retrievable soon after your accident. With the passage of time, the risk grows that these and other documents could become misplaced.
One of the first tasks your attorney will undertake upon your retaining them is to conduct an investigation into your accident and how it happened. This includes taking steps to preserve witnesses’ memories, documents, and physical evidence so it can be used later, if necessary.
Your Chico Personal Injury Lawyer Files Your Claim and Lawsuit
Filing an insurance claim and a lawsuit requires compliance with technical rules. Submitting a claim to the wrong insurance company or failing to include the necessary supporting documentation can delay the payment of your claim.
Lawsuits that are not filed promptly, that do not contain the necessary elements, or that are not formatted correctly may also be rejected.
Your current accident may be the first time you have ever been hurt by another’s negligence. The process for filing insurance claims and lawsuits may be unfamiliar to you. But for your experienced personal injury attorney, these processes are known and easily undertaken.
With an attorney’s help early in your case, your claim and lawsuit, if necessary, can be filed promptly. Doing this not only preserves your legal rights but also helps you receive compensation more quickly.
You Can Settle Your Case with Confidence with a Lawyer’s Assistance
Many personal injury cases settle, and depending on the facts of your case, the other party may have a significant incentive to settle quickly. But settlements can be a two-edged sword: on the one hand, they give you compensation quickly and without the need for a contested trial. But on the other hand, if the settlement is too low, there are few options available for you to go back and undo the settlement.
In any settlement, the amount of compensation you receive should address your present losses as well as injuries and expenses you will likely incur in the future. For example, suppose that you are hurt in a motorcycle wreck, and your arm is permanently damaged.
This results in a reduction in your income because you cannot return to your previous job. Any settlement amount should include compensation for the fact that you will not be able to earn as much in your life as you would have without the injury.
After discussing your objectives as well as the strengths and weaknesses of your case with you, your attorney can handle most of the settlement negotiations themselves. Your lawyer will bring you those offers the lawyer believes are fair and reasonable. Your attorney can communicate your needs in a settlement, helping to expedite the resolution process.
Your Attorney Needs Time to Become Familiar with Your Case
Any lawyer who does their job and represents you competently will need time to become familiar with the details of your situation. This includes learning about:
- You and how you were injured
- The individuals, businesses, or entities who may be responsible for your accident
- The losses you sustained and those losses you are likely to experience going forward
- Your needs and goals for your insurance claim and litigation
- The witnesses, evidence, and experts that may be needed to prove your claim
One reason why sooner rather than later is when to hire a personal injury lawyer is that the longer your case goes on, the more information there will be for your attorney to become familiar with.
If you retain an attorney soon after your accident, your lawyer will have an easier time learning about your situation. It also becomes easier for your personal injury lawyer to stay current with negotiations and the course of your treatment.
Conversely, if months or years have passed between your injury event and when you retain legal counsel, your attorney has a much more difficult time getting up to speed on what has happened in your case. There may also be things your attorney would like to have done to help your case that the passage of time simply will not allow them to do.
It Is Never Too Late to Speak with a Lawyer About Your Case
“As soon as you can” is always the answer to the question of when to hire a personal injury lawyer in Chico. But do not assume that just because weeks, months, or even a year have passed since your accident that a lawyer cannot help you. In addition to the aforementioned tasks, your lawyer can also explore the following:
- Whether you may still have a right to file a lawsuit
- What is holding up the approval of your insurance claim
- Additional steps you should take to address your injuries and losses
- Whether you were unduly coerced into accepting an unfavorable settlement
The laws surrounding personal injury cases in California can be confusing and change from time to time. While delaying your claim for compensation for years may mean that you no longer have a right to file a claim, you will never know for sure without speaking to a qualified injury claims lawyer.
Now Is the Perfect Time to Contact the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin
No matter where you are in the process of recovering compensation, the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin is ready to assist you immediately. We offer prospective clients a free initial consultation to discuss their case and only recover a fee if we succeed in getting you compensation.
Using our experience and legal resources, we will do everything in our power to advance your claim quickly and help you recover the maximum amount of compensation possible.
Contact the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin today to get started.
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