When Do You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer: A Guide For Accident Victims

Published on: 09 March 2024 Last Updated on: 19 March 2024

Accidents are unexpected and traumatic events that can have far-reaching consequences for those involved.

But if you are involved in a serious accident and it has left you with severe injuries, you might wonder if it would be worth hiring an attorney.

Thus, you would need an injury lawyer in every situation, but there are a few exceptional cases where you might suffer a severe injury. Hence, it might be best to seek legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer.

To mitigate your situation, you can contact an injury lawyer in Grand Rapids, as they will be able to give you the best advice.

In this article, you will discover when and where you would need a personal injury lawyer.

When Do You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?

Many accident victims hire lawyers to assist them and navigate the steps of filing their claims. However, you might need to decide when to hire a lawyer after having an accident or whether you need legal assistance.

Hence, you do not have to meet specific criteria to hire an injury attorney after an accident. Thus, here is a list of situations when you need to hire a personal injury lawyer.

1. When You Have Significant Injuries

In recent days, the number of car accidents has increased to a significant level. The reports published by the WHO claim that the number of annual road traffic deaths has risen to 1.19 million.

If you have experienced a serious injury from a car accident, then you are likely to face hefty medical bills. Thus, you would need an attorney to mitigate this situation.

Hence, the personal injury lawyer will help you fill out the proper forms in order to receive your medical bills covered.

Similarly, auto accidents that produce injuries can warrant legal action against the defendants for compensation. Having legal assistance from the beginning can help you anticipate the best way to proceed after your serious car accident.

2. Your Accident Includes Different Parties

When an accident involves different parties, it becomes complex. Some countries follow a contributory negligence policy that permits insurance companies to assign a percentage of faults to all parties in an accident.

As a result, you need to hire a personal injury attorney to make sure you understand which insurance company to file your claims.

Therefore, car accident attorneys have extensive experience navigating various car accident cases.

Hence, hire an attorney to help you understand the procedure for filing an insurance claim. Moreover, they will communicate on your behalf with the insurance adjuster and all parties involved.

3. No Cooperation From Insurance Company

When you file for a claim with the at-fault party insurance company, you should be provided with payments to cover the accident expense without any issue.

Thus, the insurance company is in the business of incurring money. Moreover, they need to offer more payouts or even deny the claim outright to save money.

However, if the insurance company is not cooperating, you might need an attorney to negotiate for a higher offer and a wrongful claim denial.

4. Planning To Take Legal Actions

If you plan to take legal action against the at-fault driver or their insurance company, you need a personal injury lawyer.

Thus, if the insurance company completely cooperates with your claim, then at-fault driver’s insurance coverage might not be enough to cover your expenses.

On the other hand, you might want to pursue non-economic damages, for instance:

Emotional distress.
Pain and suffering.
Loss of enjoyment of life.

Thus, with the help of a lawsuit, you can seek compensation beyond what you might qualify for through an insurance claim.

Furthermore, you need a professional car accident attorney to guide you through the legal process, present you at the court, and help you gather the right evidence.

5. Difficulty In Compensation Claims

If you have difficulty receiving your claims, a personal injury attorney will help you obtain them.

However, you might feel stressed, traumatized, and overwhelmed when you file your claims or even talk about your accident. Thus, the professional will help you mitigate the situation and maximize your compensation. The attorney will determine for which you are entitled to make claims.

This will make sure that you are not taking advantage of the person held responsible. In return, you are offered a fair amount for your loss and suffering.

Hence, an attorney can take this burden off your shoulders, thereby assisting you move forward.

6. Difficulty In Carrying Out Details

Evidence plays a huge part in personal injury cases. Thus, when you face an injury, you must prove negligence and the duty of care.

However, personal injury lawyers are aware of this and will help you take your time to work with the evidence.

Moreover, in other cases, you can hire a lawyer to work with an accident reconstruction professional to help you establish a strong case.

Therefore, as a part of the investigation process, the lawyer will help you meet the eyewitness, gather surveillance camera feeds, and make sure the desired outcomes are met.

List Of Cases Personal Injury Lawyer Handle

Personal injury lawyer deals with a variety of cases.

Here is a list of some of the most frequent cases we deal with:

During a motor vehicle accident. It can involve a car, boat, motorcycle, and other vehicle.
During a wrongful death. It might be a traumatic situation, but a lawyer will help you receive compensation for many things.
Slip and fall accident.
Birth injuries. This situation can be traumatic for the families, and if it is due to a negligent mistake, then the family is entitled to compensation.
During a dog or animal bite. This accident can be more serious than a person might expect.

Hire A Personal Injury Attorney Today

Thus, we suggest you get an attorney as soon as possible after an accident to ensure that your claim is as strong as possible.

This is because the greater the evidence against the negligent party, the greater the chance of receiving a settlement.

So, appoint a lawyer quickly, as they can help you gather the evidence before it gets lost. Similarly, the lawyer will help you set settlements with an insurance company.

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Ankita Tripathy

Ankita Tripathy loves to write about food and the Hallyu Wave in particular. During her free time, she enjoys looking at the sky or reading books while sipping a cup of hot coffee. Her favourite niches are food, music, lifestyle, travel, and Korean Pop music and drama.

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What’s Liability In A Personal Injury Case?

You probably heard the term “liability” while reading about a personal injury case. However, do you know how it works? Or, why should you consider using it while handling a personal injury claim? Well, if your answer is no, don’t worry. In this article, we’re going to discuss a little on the subject of personal injury and proffer a bit of additional information, too. But, if we miss out on something, don’t forget to tell us about it in the comment section below. We’ll answer you as soon as possible. What Is A Personal Injury Case? A personal injury incident can include trauma, accident, mental strain, and illness caused due to someone else’s action. However, you can only go for the claim if you’ve been physically or psychologically affected due to the externally-caused problem. Also, before you can submit your issue, you’ll need to understand the type of damage you’ve sustained. Or else, you might end up submitting the wrong claim altogether. So, in this case, it will be ideal for you to opt for a Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer. Thanks to their experience and expertise, they’ll know precisely what you have to do in your personal injury claim submission. Besides, the attorney will also offer their help in solving all of your paperwork accordingly. They can also represent you in court. So, it’s better to hire someone who can assist you in every possible aspect. Personal Injury And Liability - What’s The Catch? From a general viewpoint, almost every person is responsible for whatever action they have taken. Apart from that, the law also assumes that each individual has the responsibility to act properly so that someone else doesn’t get injured. However, if someone fails to follow the aforementioned duty, and an injury occurs, they’ll be held liable for the incident. The definition of liability can also include - An individual has a certain duty to follow to keep everyone else safe and secure.However, they’ve somehow failed to perform the same properly.And, due to that reason, another person has sustained a potentially life-ending injury.The person who didn’t do their duty correctly will be liable for the consequences. Remember, you can only hold someone else liable if you’ve been injured due to their action. If they didn’t lose anything or didn’t suffer any damage, they won’t be liable for anything. Hence, before you make such a claim against someone, you should always ensure that you’ve kept the proof in the right place. If you cannot provide the same, you won’t be able to acquire even a single penny from the defendant. Even an attorney can’t help you in this aspect. Fault, Negligence, And Liability When talking about liability, you’ll probably find two more words associated with the same - fault and negligence. Here’s what they mean. So, “fault” is all about something else making a mistake knowingly to cause harm to you. An example of this will be an individual slashing someone else with a knife. In this aspect, they knew that the action would hurt the other person. Yet, they still did it. On the other hand, the act of “negligence” isn’t as direct as that of “fault.” It can be either an act done deliberately or an accidental omission of something. In any case, if you want to make a personal injury claim, you’ll need to prove the fault or negligence of another person. Or else, it might not work out as you wanted. Types Of Liability When it comes to liability in a personal injury case, it can be divided into two options. Here’s what you need to know about it. 1. Strict Liability A negligent party can be held strictly liable for a case if they can prove that the negligence was done deliberately. In this case, you can omit the aspect of proving their intent altogether. For example, a strict liability claim can apply in a product injury case. If the item was a little defective in one way or another and caused an injury, the seller and manufacturer will be held liable for the damages. Apart from this, some other cases of strict liability can include injuries involving - dog bites, wild animals, and other dangerous activities. 2. Vicarious Liability In most personal injury felonies, the individual who has acted negligently will be considered as liable for the damages. But, in some cases, a party will be vicariously liable for damages as well. Let us share an example to offer a little more clarity on this aspect. Say, you’re working in an office as an employee and have started a fire in the building due to some reason. However, if someone was injured due to the same, they’ll sue your employee as you, as an employee, are their responsibility to look after. And, if your boss has to pay for the claim, they’ll be called vicariously liable for the incident. FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions In this section, we’re going to talk about some stuff related to our topic that we didn’t discuss before. Let’s keep reading to know more about it. 1. How Is Liability For An Injury Determined? The amount of the responsible person’s liability is going to be determined by comparing the status of their carelessness. The percentage of the same will tell us the amount of money they are going to pay to compensate for the damage. 2. How Do You Establish A Liability? To prove that someone is liable for an injury, you’ll need to provide information about their legal duty and how they’ve failed it. Apart from this, you’ll also need to offer a little bit more information about the extent of physical harm. The better the proof, the higher your chance of winning the lawsuit will be. Wrapping It All Up! So, that’ll be all for this article. We hope you’ve understood the true meaning behind liability and how you can claim it. However, if you still have something else to ask, don’t be shy. Use the comment section and let us know what you’re thinking. We’ll be glad to help you out. Additionals: What Personal Injury Law in California InvolvesTop 10 Colorado Springs Personal Injury AttorneysWhat Are The Effective Ways To Communicate With A Personal Injury LawyerFiling A Personal Injury Lawsuit In South Carolina: Here Are 7 Things You Should Know

Filing A Personal Injury Lawsuit In South Carolina: Here Are 7 Things You Should Know

Medical negligence, car accidents, defective products, dog bites, slip and fall injuries… The list of personal injury accidents can go on and on. The thing that should be noted is that all the above-mentioned accidents can result in grievous injuries. While some of them might not be fatal, it is true that a lot of individuals lose their lives every year in personal injury cases. If you are looking to file a personal injury lawsuit in the state of South Carolina, you should be aware of the facts. This is because the rules and regulations governing the administration of personal injury lawsuits differ from state to state. If you are not aware of the specifics of filing one in South Carolina, you might not get the desired solution in the form of settlement claims or compensation you are looking for. This is going to cause an unnecessary financial burden on top of the turmoil you are going through. In this resource article, we are going to list seven important things you should know when filing a personal injury lawsuit in the state of South Carolina. If you or someone you know is looking to file a personal injury claim, you should check out what we have to say in the article. Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit: Is it absolutely necessary? The first thing that you should note is that there is a difference between a personal injury claim and a lawsuit. If you have been injured because of the irresponsible actions of someone else, you need not file a lawsuit right at the beginning. This is because, in most instances, the insurance company of the person responsible for the accident and the consequent injury will help you with the compensation amount required. Yet, it has been found that in a majority of cases, insurance companies have been found to strongarm victims into accepting lower amounts of compensation than they are rightly entitled to. The reason is simple- every time an insurance company pays, it compromises its profits. You should be looking to file a personal injury lawsuit if- You find that the insurance company is purposely delaying the disbursal process for the compensation. The person responsible for the accident is hesitant to share their insurance details with you. The extent of damages is far beyond what the insurance company can pay as part of its coverage. In such instances, you need to hire a personal injury attorney South Carolina and take the case to court to help you get what you deserve in terms of the losses suffered. 7 Things you should know when Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in South Carolina: 1. Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney- Studies have shown that individuals that lawyer up when filing a personal injury lawsuit are able to recover far more than people who go at it alone. This is why the first thing you should do when you want to move the case from a claim to a lawsuit is to hire an experienced personal injury attorney for your case. This will allow you to focus on getting better physically. 2. South Carolina has a Statute of Limitations- The period of filing a personal injury lawsuit in the State of South Carolina is fixed. The term period for the same is 3 years from the date of the accident. You need to file a personal injury lawsuit within the three-year period, or it will not be entertained by the courts thereafter. Make sure that you are not delaying it indefinitely since it sends the wrong message to the court. 3. Never sign anything given to you by the Insurance Company of the accused- You have no idea about the extent insurance companies can go to save their skin. They do not want to pay up. This makes them resort to unfair means like asking you to sign complicated paperwork that might compromise the integrity of the personal injury case. It is best that you refer all official documents sent to you by the insurance company to your attorney. 4. A Personal Injury Lawsuit can be won even before the start of the court proceedings- Yes, there are two main ways how you can win a personal injury lawsuit. When you file a case, the lawyer and insurance company of the accused will try to get the case settled before it goes to trial if they believe it will help them minimize the settlement amount. On the other hand, a case can go to the Jury for their decision, and whatever the court orders will have to be paid. 5. The point of a Personal Injury Lawsuit is to Fix Fault or Negligence- There is only one way to get the settlement compensation you want- fix negligence. You need to prove that the accident and the subsequent injuries were squarely the faults of the accused. In other words, it was their negligence that resulted in you receiving injuries and spending time in the hospital. This is what will help you get the maximum traction for your lawsuit. 6. Gathering evidence and building a solid personal injury lawsuit is a top priority- In most personal injury lawsuits, it all boils down to the nature of the evidence that is being presented in support of your claims. This is where an experienced personal injury attorney and their team of investigators can prove to be an invaluable asset for your lawsuit. They will be able to gather evidence whose examination will be able to establish the guilt and negligence of the accused. 7. Personal injury lawsuits can drag on for months and be very time-consuming- Yes, it is true that some personal injury lawsuits are settled within a month, whereas others can run for one or even two years. There is a certain sense of the complexity involved when it comes to personal injury lawsuits. You need to be prepared for the long haul if you want to see this through. Make sure that you pay attention to the fees for your personal injury attorney. The Final Word When it comes to personal injury lawsuits and the claim amount, it is not only about helping you pay the medical bills. If the injury is serious, you need to ensure that the compensation that is being offered makes up for lost wages, takes care of the medical care you need during the recovery stage, and more. If you have any more questions regarding personal injury lawsuits in the State of South Carolina, please let us know in the comments section below. Read Also: What Personal Injury Law in California Involves What Are The Effective Ways To Communicate With A Personal Injury Lawyer Road Accidents And Personal Injury Lawsuits: How To Fight For Compensation

When Counseling Doesn’t Work: Finding an Indianapolis Divorce Attorney

Finding a good divorce attorney in Indianapolis starts with knowing whether the person across the table from you is the best person for the job. The right lawyer can help turn an emotionally tumultuous time into something much more bearable and understandable, all while doing their best to ethically help you reach your desired outcome for the case. When counseling doesn't work and you both feel that a relationship has run its course, you need to start looking into legal representation for your divorce proceedings. Needless to say, this can be a difficult and emotional time, so it's best to have a lawyer whom you feel is in your corner and capable of fighting for you in whatever way the case and your spouse's demeanor require. Here are the answers to come commonly asked questions regarding divorce attorneys. What Type of Attorney Do I Need? Different areas of law have different skillsets associated with them. There are also at times different regulations and specifics that a lawyer will need to know well to practice ethically and to the best of their ability to help you reach your desired outcome. For these reasons, you'll want to choose a lawyer who is well versed in practicing family law in your county. Divorce can sometimes be a complex process, even without the emotional burden it can bring, so it's good practice to have a lawyer who both knows the ins and outs of family law and is familiar with your local courts and judges. How Do I Find a Good Attorney? The first step when it comes to finding a good divorce attorney is to ask those closest to you, especially if they've been through the divorce process in the area before. The exception to this rule is when the person giving you advice doesn't actually know the lawyer in question, or only knows them in passing. It's best to take recommendations from people who have worked with the lawyer in a professional capacity beforehand and can confidently recommend them based on direct experience with how their case was handled. Once you've collected recommendations you feel good about, you can narrow your focus a bit to just those lawyers who focus on family law. While lawyers may practice in other areas of law, 'doing it all can often be a red flag. Make sure that whomever you decide to interview knows family law well enough that you would be comfortable having them represent you during this difficult time. Know your strategy. Some divorces call for a more aggressive strategy than others, and it's important to find a lawyer who is well-suited to the work before you commit to working with them. If at any point you're uncomfortable with the tactic being taken, you're within your rights to speak up. A good divorce lawyer will be able to work out which track -- mediation, traditional litigation, or alternative dispute resolution -- will be best for your case, and adopt a strategy that will help move you toward the outcome you desire. It's also important to talk through the tough issues with your lawyer, such as if you or your spouse owns a business, if anyone inherited property, if you were living together before the marriage, etc. A good divorce attorney will be absolutely worthy for you as he should never avoid these more difficult topics, but instead, work to talk them through peacefully and untangle any legal knots that may be forming. Finally, it's a good idea to interview more than one potential attorney. This way, you'll get to see different approaches to your case and can choose the one which is best suited for you from a place of knowledge. This will also let you get to know other lawyers' personalities and help you choose the person you can most effectively communicate with. Any lawyer you meet with should be willing to give you the time you need to make an informed decision about them and their services. Can I And My Spouse Share an Attorney? The short answer is no. Even if one lawyer is contracted to draw up paperwork for both parties, they are still legally representing only one spouse. It's unethical for a lawyer to represent both parties in a divorce as both spouse's goals run counter to each other and a lawyer cannot ethically give good legal advice to both parties when their goals are at odds with one another. If your spouse is having the paperwork drawn up, it's best for you to start researching divorce attorneys in your area and seeing who you feel good about working with. In Conclusion Whomever you choose to work with for your unique case, it's important to set yourself up with a professional firm that can provide you with excellent legal representation. Your unique case and personality, as well as your spouse's demeanor in the divorce, are all factors that will have to be intellectually weighed in order for a good divorce attorney to come up with a competent strategy and smooth things over peacefully whenever possible. It can take some time to find a divorce attorney who will be a good fit for your case and personality. For this reason, it's best to start looking for representation as early in the process as you can, to give yourself enough time to find an attorney who will be a good match for you. You deserve solid, experienced legal representation from a divorce attorney who understands your case and situation. Read Also: Tips To Help You Overcome the Pains Caused By Divorce Divorce 101: How To Get Through This Difficult Time and Come Out Stronger! How to Bring Up Divorce With Your Spouse

When Do You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer: A Guide For Accident Victims