When you are injured at the fault of another, your primary interest is to get well. You may assume that insurance will take care of everything else. The “everything else” is why you need an experienced personal injury attorney.
Dealing with insurance companies after a minor accident is one thing. Working with insurance companies after a serious accident with injuries is another.
The success of personal injury attorneys is based on several factors, including education, legal skill and experience. The attorney you retain should have a proven record of winning similar cases and be willing to thoroughly explain his or her recommendations based on specific details of your case.
Here are six reasons why you need an experienced personal injury attorney.
An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Can Take on Insurance Companies
An experienced personal injury attorney has been through insurance claims many times. As a result, they know how to seek fair compensation.
It is important to know that insurance adjusters do not work for you. Their goal is to reduce what the insurance company pays. However, insurance adjusters are trained to make you feel they are on your side. Their goal is to see if you will say things to potentially devalue your case.
According to HG.org, “adjusters are not friends or on the side of the accident victim. They are attached to the case to ensure the most money allocated to the individual of the incident is just enough to avoid a lawsuit.”
An experienced personal injury attorney knows what your case is worth. As an objective advisor, they can advise what is in your best interest.
They Know the Value of Your Claim
Because of their background, experienced personal injury attorneys can tell you from the beginning whether you should pursue legal action.
A knowledgeable personal attorney understands the need to seek compensation for past, present and future expenses. They also know how to value compensation for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, which are harder to prove.
An experienced personal injury attorney also knows there may be others partially responsible for your injuries. In a complex case, adding all responsible parties is challenging, but is important to make sure you get your best settlement.
They Know How to Build a Solid Case
An experienced personal injury attorney knows how to navigate complicated legal procedures. As a result, they can provide expert guidance. Hiring an expert ensures you do not make a mistake that could impact your compensation.
Determining who is at fault goes beyond collecting evidence at the scene. In addition, cases can include depositions, records, subpoenas and other court rules and legal processes.
A personal injury attorney can build your case through the following actions:
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- Preserving vital evidence
- Tracking your expenses
- Documenting the severity of your injuries
- Processing paperwork
- Understanding confusing legal terms
- Knowing the deadlines for filing
- Having a team of investigators
Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys have Trial Experience
While most cases do not go to court, having an attorney knowledgeable and willing to litigate a case is important. That sends a message to the insurance company that you are willing to take a case to trial if negotiations are unsatisfactory.
You never know when a case will make it to court. That’s why it’s so important to have an attorney who treats your case like it could go to court from the beginning.
Having an attorney with a reputation for jury trial verdicts can result in a high settlement for clients in mediation and arbitration. Lawyers who have successful trial experience often get the better settlement offers.
Taking a case to trial requires thorough and additional preparation, which you will get with a trial-experienced attorney. Your attorney will know how to ask the right questions and collect information.
Experienced lawyers will often have a more established relationship with defense lawyers, judges and insurance adjusters. Board certification by The Florida Bar is designed to help the public make an informed decision when selecting a lawyer.
Board-certified trial attorneys like ours mean you can be assured we have a certain level of expertise, knowledge and experience.
About 3% of Florida civil trial lawyers are Board Certified. At Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, we have four board certified trial attorneys.
An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Has Resources to Pursue Your Case
After an accident, your concern will be getting back your life. You may have medical procedures, repairs and other headaches that occupy your time. You may be out of work as you deal with the result of the accident. During this period, the last thing you need is more expenses.
An experienced personal injury attorney has the resources to cover the high costs of investigating and taking your case to litigation if necessary. Costs may include medical experts, investigators, reconstruction specialists and staff time preparing the case.
Instead of requiring a retainer fee and charging for legal services by the hour, we agree to base our attorney fee on the amount of money recovered in the case. Our fees are deducted from the money recovered for your claim. This means that unless we make a recovery for you, you owe no attorney fees.
Court costs are normally recoverable in Florida from the other side if you are successful at trial.
If we cannot recover compensation for your personal injury claim, you do not owe the attorney any money for attorney fees. However, you could owe the attorney for the costs of your case.
You Deserve the Best Representation
An experienced personal injury attorney has the resources to cover the high costs of investigating and taking your case to litigation if necessary. Costs may include medical experts, investigators, reconstruction specialists and staff time preparing the case.
You only have one chance to get the compensation you are owed. As a result, it is important to have the best legal representation possible. An experienced personal injury lawyer will protect your rights and your case.
At Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, we offer FREE attorney consultations. When you call, you can speak directly with an attorney who can help determine what your case needs.
Also, you need to feel comfortable with your attorney and confident that your interests will be a top priority. At our firm, you talk to attorneys who meet with you throughout the process. We make a point be accessible.
Qualifications to Look for When Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
Before hiring a personal injury attorney, you should make sure they have the right qualifications to tackle your case. Managing partner Christopher J. Smith shares some general guidelines for interviewing a legal firm.