When should I hire an attorney in a personal injury case?

A personal injury case can transpire from any accident or injury where a person suffers harm, and legal action is required. Unfortunately, the at-fault carrier’s insurance can make the process difficult for you to get the funding and care you need. We’ve put together a handy personal injury case checklist to highlight red flags you may be dealing with in your PI case.

So, when should I hire an attorney?

Here’s the scoop! In general, insurance companies will put up a fight on providing you with the appropriate amount of financial compensation in a personal injury settlement. You are dealing with the at-fault party’s insurance company who is hoping you take their first offer and run for the hills. However, there are certain things you may be entitled to receive in a PI case.

The personal injury case checklist

If you feel like you are getting the short end of the stick with your settlement, our checklist can help you gauge if it’s time to get a lawyer involved.

1. The at-fault party’s insurance has pushed back on ANY treatment that your doctor or specialist has requested you receive.
2. The insurance provider has reached out to you and tried to rationalize a low-ball settlement offer.
3. Mind games! It’s a red flag if the insurance company is trying to use tricks saying you or others involved were not injured as severely as the doctor stated.
4. The party’s insurance company is using guilt to make you feel bad for an accident you didn’t cause.
5. Your injury is serious or may become a long-term disability. Remember, there will be a lot of future expenses you aren’t considering, which is why you will need a personal injury attorney now. They have experience advocating for everything their clients need in these situations.
6. Your PI case involved someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It might be easy to prove who is liable with these cases but not as easy as you think to receive the proper compensation.
7. The case involves malpractice, mechanical failure, or another defective product. The process for proving that an organization/company is liable for causing your accident is no simple undertaking. (Trust us.)

The benefits of hiring a personal injury attorney

Now that we’ve covered the rag flags in our personal injury case checklist, it’s time to dive into all the perks of working with an attorney on your PI case.

A personal injury attorney helps you:

• Build your case with all the proper paperwork, reports, witnesses, etc.
• Evaluate what the fair value of your claim should be
• Communicate with insurance companies effectively
• Apply the legal knowledge needed for your case
• De-stress from the responsibility of handling your settlement while you’re recovering from an injury

You’ll be hearing from my lawyer…

After dealing with an accident, the last thing you need is an insurance company giving you the runaround. Sadly, insurance providers will take advantage of a lack of legal knowledge to avoid a higher payout in some personal injury cases. Bringing on a personal injury attorney not only gives you peace of mind but it holds the insurance company accountable for fair compensation.

Are you interested in speaking with a personal injury attorney today? The legal professionals at Carlisle + Byers are here to take the heavy burden off of you so you can get back to your life as quickly as possible. Click to schedule a free consultation.