Some accidents are minor enough to handle on your own, but you should contact a personal injury lawyer if you’ve been injured in most cases. For example, if you fall and end up with a bruised elbow, you’re probably fine handling it independently. But if you broke your arm falling in a store, you’ll want to contact a lawyer. You might think, “oh, it’s just a broken bone. I’ll be fine.” But a lawyer may have valuable insights that you won’t think of on your own.
The Severity of Your Injuries
Like we mentioned above, the severity of your injuries can help you decide if you need a lawyer. Here are some examples of cases where you’ll want to speak with a lawyer.
A car accident is an example of when you should contact a lawyer. Of course, you should contact a lawyer if you’ve been in a major car crash. But even a minor fender bender can result in serious injuries. A mild case of whiplash could still injure the soft tissues in your neck and spine.
You should contact a lawyer if your injuries are more severe. Examples of severe injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputation
Establish Who Caused The Accident
You need to prove that another party or outside factor caused your accident for a successful personal injury claim. There could also be multiple parties at fault. But you might not know how to establish that, which is part of why you should speak with a lawyer. A lawyer will determine who those parties are and work to get you compensation from every party involved.
For example, say you weren’t feeling well and went to the ER. You were sent home with medication and told to rest until you felt better, even though you felt like something was wrong. In that case, you can sue the doctor who failed to provide you with proper treatment. But you could also sue the hospital. A personal injury lawyer will know what steps to take to accomplish this.
Speak with a Lawyer First
It doesn’t always occur to a personal injury victim to speak to a lawyer first, which is normal, especially since you’ve been in a traumatic situation. But we recommend contacting a lawyer first. You can speak to a lawyer instead of communicating with the party who caused your injury. We don’t recommend speaking with the liable party because they’ll try to get you to settle. An attorney will fight to get you as much compensation as possible.
Ways a Lawyer Can Help
A lawyer can help you with the following problems:
- If the insurance company rejects your claim
- If the insurance company doesn’t get back to you or doesn’t pay you when they agree to
- If the insurance company offers a low settlement offer
- If the insurance company won’t negotiate with you
These are all common problems that personal injury victims encounter. Flickinger • Boulton • Robson • Weeks has seen it all, and we’re here to help you with your personal injury lawsuit. Contact us today to get started with a free case evaluation.