Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer is vital if you are injured in a wreck. Unfortunately, we see many individuals attempt to represent themselves and generally fail miserably for several reasons. There are numerous studies illustrating that a claimant who is represented by legal counsel nets (after medical bills and attorney fees have been paid) in excess of 300% on average more money than those that handle their own auto collision claim. This number would be higher if we did not have so many personal injury settlement mills (usually the biggest advertising firms found on TV and radio) who often leave significant money on the table at the time of settlement.
If you opt to handle your own injury claim, the insurance company will offer you a minimal amount of settlement money intending for you to go away. In fact, insurance companies usually make such offers within days following the collision hoping to take advantage of the victim. At such time, you will not have any idea as to the extent of your injuries, prognosis, or the need for future medical treatment. These propositions are known in the industry as “nuisance value offers.” In other words, the insurance company sees the claim as a mere nuisance. They view the unrepresented injury victim as one who has “no bite behind their bark.” The insurance company will take the position that you have no ability to do anything beyond demand money as the unrepresented party does not know the lay of the land in litigation and will get chewed up by a seasoned insurance defense lawyer.
Sadly, we have seen many individuals take minimal settlements after executing a release of the negligent party. When they contact us months later after undergoing significant medical treatment, it is too late because they have signed away their legal rights.
Keep in mind that an injury victim that is not represented by a lawyer is at a major disadvantage to an insurance company with a whole team of people that handle personal injury claims all day every day. An unrepresented claimant lacks the experience or training necessary to properly negotiate with an insurance carrier. Further, such individuals will not have a thorough understanding of negotiating the medical bills they will surely incur as a result of treating for their collision-related injuries. Most claimants lack the financial resources to retain the best experts available (assuming they even know who they are) to illustrate the compensation that is commensurate with the injuries, harms, and losses suffered.
As Clarence Darrow famously said, the person "who represents himself has a fool for a client.” Do not go at it alone. Do yourself a favor and research the best lawyers in your area. Choose a law firm that can go toe to toe with the biggest insurance carriers. Look at what former clients say about their experience with the law firm. Do they offer personal attention or will you rarely if ever be able to get your lawyer on the phone?
Many law firms promise the moon with expensive TV and radio ads. However, this is nothing more than a personal injury settlement mill. At our law firm, you and your case will get the individual attention you deserve. If you or a friend or family member has been injured in an auto collision due to someone else's negligence or recklessness, give us a call at 253.858.5434 to set up an appointment for a free initial consultation today!