The short answer is maybe. After an injury, such as a motorcycle wreck, bike accident or slip and fall, you may question if your next step should be to call a personal injury attorney. The answer to that question will depend on several variables, such as the extent of your injury, who was at fault, and how low the insurance company offer is.
Your next question may be: do I need the assistance of a personal injury attorney if I do decide to file a personal injury claim? The answer to that one is always yes. We’ll go into more detail on that later. First, let’s determine if you need to hire a lawyer in the first place.
When You Should Call a Personal Injury Attorney
There are certain circumstances that arise in which you should always make a call to a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles.
- When you’ve been seriously hurt: The more serious your injuries are, the bigger impact they will have on your life – not just today but in the future as well. Problem is, you don’t always know how extensive those injuries will be, which is why it’s imperative to get medical attention as well. If you can’t afford the doctors’ bills upfront, calling a law firm like Kuzyk Law means we can connect you with a doctor who won’t charge you anything up front. A skilled personal injury attorney can establish the full extent of your pain and suffering, while quantifying your damages, and fighting to receive the full and fair compensation you require on an ongoing basis. In accidents with no or minor injuries, such as a low-speed rear-end accident, you can simply file a claim with the insurance company and get reimbursed for the car damage. In these cases, you would not require a personal injury lawyer. If, on the other hand, your injury has resulted in hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, orthopedics, rehab, chiropractic work or cosmetic surgery, you should have your case evaluated by a personal injury lawyer, recommends The National Law Review.
- When liability is in dispute: It may seem clear to you that the other party was at fault. But the defense knows how to reduce or deny liability. For example, they may say you are partially at fault for your car accident injuries because you weren’t wearing a seat belt, or that you were partially at fault for a slip and fall because you were walking and texting at the same time. When you hire a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, they can ensure liability is assigned correctly and fairly.
- When you haven’t been offered a fair settlement: Most personal injury claims are settled before they ever make it to court. As the victim, you may have been sent a settlement offer from the insurance company. You may think it’s egregiously unfair upon opening it, or – which is more often the case – you aren’t really sure how fair the offer is. It may sound like a large amount to you in the moment, but when taken into account over the long-term in accordance with the severity of your injury, it could be a mere pittance. An attorney can pore over the settlement, compare it against your injuries and let you know if the amount of compensation is fair or if you should counter offer. Sometimes it can take a couple of years to go back and forth and come to an agreement with the insurance companies. In all that time, your attorney can be the one fighting for you rather than handling this on your own. If no agreement can be reached, then you’re already poised with an attorney to help you take the fight to a courtroom.
Remember how we said you should always hire a personal injury attorney if you do decide to go ahead with a claim? This is because attempting to handle a claim on your own, only to hire a lawyer later when you realize you need help, can complicate the claims process. Think long and hard about what you’re capable of, how much time you can put into the matter, and what’s at stake if you mishandle your own case.
It’s kind of like trying to diagnose your own medical condition before or in place of going to a doctor. There is NO substitute for personal attention to detail from a qualified professional!
Choose the Best Personal Injury Attorneys at Kuzyk Law
Kuzyk Law offers free, no-obligation consultations for anyone who is unsure about his or her potential for a case. In general, hiring a personal injury attorney results in more compensation than you may have secured on your own, so there is really no risk to consulting with an attorney. Plus, we work on a contingency fee basis, which basically means if we can’t win or settle your case, you don’t pay a dime. To learn more, call 661-945-6969 for a FREE consultation.