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What to Consider Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Apr 02, 2019
When your injuries are caused by the negligence and ignorance of another party, you have the right to request for compensation in a court of law. These cases may not require the involvement of a lawyer, as the insurance companies will typically have you covered. However, the issue with insurance companies is that sometimes they will look to pressure you into taking an unfavorable deal for your case to cut the cost. They may give you a small sum of money straight up and ask that you sign an agreement form to settle the case. For cases with minor damage to the vehicle, this may be a viable option, but when it comes to a personal injury case, this is not enough. You want to make sure that you get everything from the treatment costs, car repair, to the lost time at work.

Therefore, you will have to do some cost calculations to see how much you can get out of the overall deal – this helps to decide if it’s worth hiring a lawyer. For example, if the most you can expect to get out of the case is $1,000 and the lawyer will cost more than that, then it’s fair to say that it’s not a good idea. On the other hand, if you can expect to get full compensation for everything related to the injury, you should always hire a professional personal injury lawyer to help you with the case.

To help you have a better idea about when to involve a personal injury lawyer with your auto accident case, here are two questions you should ask yourself:

Is it clear that the accident happened due to the negligence of one party?

If the accident was caused by nothing but the negligence of the other driver, chances are that you will be able to get a large sum of compensation for it. For example, if the other driver ran a red light and collided into your car that was going under the speed limit, they won’t have much legal leverage to use against you. This means that the potential to get compensated for everything is quite high.

On the other hand, if it can be determined that the accident was partially caused by the actions of both parties, you may not be able to get a lot out of the case. If you’re dealing with the latter, it may be best that you go about it yourself to find a deal that will be more suitable for both parties. Most people will choose to pay for some of the treatments and car repairs themselves and will have their insurance company take care of the rest.

How severe is the injury sustained from the accident?

Another concern that you have to consider is the severity of the injury. For example, if you don’t have any visible or provable injuries on your body & your examinations come out as negative, you can’t expect to get much compensation. If this is the case, it’s usually not worth pursuing the case any further, especially if there’s no clear perpetrator. Most likely, you will be wasting a significant portion of your time and effort in court without getting much in return.

On the other hand, if you have sustained a serious injury that may have a long-lasting impact on your quality of life or the ability to earn money, it’s worth having an injury lawyer on your side.

If you’re looking for a personal injury attorney in Toledo, Ohio – get in touch today! We’re happy to help fight your side.
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