Do You Really Need a Lawyer to Settle Your Injury Claim?
You’ve been injured in an accident. Whether it’s a car accident, slip and fall, or some other accident, you really should hire a lawyer to settle your injury claim. If you handle an injury claim on your own, then you may risk:
- Causing harm to your mental and physical health, as injury claims can be stressful
- Insurance companies or attorneys taking advantage of your inexperience
- Agreeing to a settlement that is less than you deserve
- Losing your claim
There is never a guarantee that a lawyer will obtain a judgment or settlement for you. However, a lawyer’s experience and training may be a great asset.
Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury lawyer may have invaluable experience winning cases like yours. They may recognize and know how to overcome challenges specific to your case. In addition to their experience, a personal injury attorney may have:
- Knowledge of laws, deadlines, procedures, and other factors that will affect your case
- A team of fellow attorneys, paralegals, and investigators to help with your case
- Familiarity with the courts in your geographic region
- Ample time and energy to dedicate to your case
Victims considering a personal injury case often lack these resources. The clearest option for such victims: allow a lawyer to handle their case.
How Does a Lawyer Seek a Settlement?
Your personal injury lawyer will likely pursue a settlement. As the American Bar Association (ABA) explains, trials are relatively rare in civil cases. Your lawyer may prepare for settlement negotiations by:
Completing a thorough investigation of your case
Whether you’ve suffered injuries from a car accident, medical malpractice, a fall, or under other circumstances, your lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation. They may gather evidence, interview witnesses, and hire experts to reconstruct the circumstances that led to your injuries.
Identifying and documenting your losses
Damages are the centerpiece of any personal injury case. It’s your lawyer’s job to:
- Identify your losses
- Determine the monetary cost of your losses
- Establish liability for those losses
Also known as damages, your accident-related losses may be both economic and non-economic in nature. Economic losses have a clear monetary value—medical bills and lost income are two examples. Non-economic losses have a less obvious monetary cost, with pain and suffering being the most common type of monetary loss.
Calculating the accurate value of damages is not easy. Your attorney will handle this important step in your case.
Creating a cohesive case
Before they enter into negotiations, your lawyer will tie evidence, damages, and other elements of your case into a single cohesive narrative. This narrative will serve as the basis of your case for the compensation you deserve.
Call Bruntrager & Billings, P.C. About Your Personal Injury Case Today
Do not wait to hire a qualified personal injury attorney. While Missouri code § 516.120 generally allows you five years to file a personal injury claim, waiting can result in the loss or destruction of evidence critical to the success of your case. The statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is even shorter. The sooner you call our firm the sooner we can get started investigating your case.
Call Bruntrager & Billings, P.C. today at 314-646-0066 for your free consultation. Don’t fight for financial recovery on your own—let us use our resources and experience to your advantage.