Accidents can be life-changing. If you’re injured in an accident, it can disrupt all aspects of your life. It can also lead to significant financial hardship from medical bills, lost income, and other new expenses.
If you find yourself in this situation, it’s helpful to hire a personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer will help you get the compensation you deserve so you can focus on getting your life back to normal.
What a Personal Injury Attorney Does for Victims
If your accident was caused by someone else, you’re likely entitled to compensation for all of your losses. This includes economic damages – like medical bills, lost wages, and property damage – and non-economic damages – like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and decreased quality of life.
The at-fault party’s insurance company is responsible for compensating you for your damages. That said, insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with.
A personal accident attorney’s strategy varies from case to case, but the standard process is as follows:
- Investigate your accident to determine who was at fault;
- Gather evidence to prove who was at fault;
- Calculate damages and collect evidence to support your damages claim;
- Present the at-fault insurance company with a demand letter or demand package;
- Negotiate with the insurance company to get a fair settlement;
- If necessary, file a lawsuit and represent you in court;
- Handle all administrative tasks, including corresponding with the insurance company, complying with the statute of limitations, and meeting all deadlines.
Personal injury lawyers know how to deal with insurance companies to get a fair settlement. And if an insurance company is being unreasonable, they’ll file a lawsuit and represent you in court.
What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle
Personal injury lawyers handle any case where a person is injured by another person’s negligence, recklessness, or malicious conduct.
Examples of cases frequently handled by personal injury lawyers are:
- Car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Construction accidents
- Product liability cases
- Workplace accidents
- Dog bites
- Wrongful death cases
If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by someone else, a personal injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve.
When Are Accident Injury Attorneys Particularly Essential
While a personal injury lawyer can help all accident victims, there are some situations where it is especially vital to work with a personal injury lawyer. In cases of significant damages or complex legal issues, you need a personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the compensation you’re entitled to.
For example:
- Accidents involving catastrophic injuries;
- Accidents where liability is disputed, or the insurance company is blaming you;
- Accidents that result in permanent disability.
You only have one opportunity to recover damages after an accident. Once you’ve settled with the insurance company, you will not have another chance to recoup your losses. It’s important to accurately calculate all of your current and future expenses in a personal injury case. Additionally, you need to negotiate with the insurance company to ensure a fair and reasonable settlement.
Personal injury lawyers know all the damages available to victims, and they know how to deal with insurance companies. They will ensure you get the damages you need to get your life back on track after an accident.
Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
Even after talking about what accident lawyers do, many victims still wonder, “is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney?” To help you answer that question, here are some benefits of hiring an injury attorney. These apply to both major accidents and minor accidents.
Insurance companies have experts working for them, and insurance companies work hard to minimize payments to accident victims. Victims need an expert on their side, too. A personal injury lawyer is that expert and will advocate for you throughout the process.
Victims with lawyers get more compensation than those without a lawyer. A study by the Insurance Research Council found that accident victims get settlements that are 3.5 times larger than victims without lawyers.
A personal injury lawyer can represent you in court. While you may be comfortable dealing with an insurance company, most people are unprepared to file a lawsuit and represent themselves in court. To get the best settlement possible, you need to be willing to reject an offer and file a lawsuit. Personal injury lawyers are prepared to do this.
Your lawyer will handle all correspondence and administrative tasks. Personal injury cases can be complicated and time-consuming. A personal injury lawyer will handle all administrative tasks, deadlines, and logistics so you can focus on healing and getting your life back to normal after an accident.
There’s no cost if your case isn’t successful. Personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means that they only get paid when you do. When you work with an accident injury lawyer, you won’t pay any upfront fees or out-of-pocket fees. Instead, your lawyer will get paid a percentage of your settlement or award.
A Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Recover Damages
Personal injury lawyers have expertise in calculating damages. The at-fault party in an accident is responsible for making victims “whole” after an accident. Calculating damages can be tricky, and victims often leave money on the table when doing so.
You may be entitled to damages, including the following:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and home care expenses
- Property damage
- Emotional distress and emotional anguish
- Decreased quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
A personal injury lawyer will analyze your case and make sure that you get compensation for all losses.
Contact a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
To learn more about how a personal injury lawyer can help you or to discuss your case, contact Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers. We’ll set up a free consultation to discuss your case.
We’ll analyze your case, discuss your rights, and create a personalized strategy for recovery. To get started, schedule a free consultation online or call our Columbus personal injury office at (614) 587 8423.
