Many of us give little thought to the role of a personal injury lawyer until we suddenly need one. You could be driving home from work when someone runs a red light, or you might slip on a wet floor while grocery shopping. Regardless of the specific cause, getting injured in these situations leaves victims facing medical bills, missing work, and confusion about what to do next.
People tend to believe that they can handle injury claims on their own. And to be fair, that is sometimes the case. Insurance companies want to pay you as little as possible — that’s how they make money, after all — so they’ll hire teams of adjusters and lawyers who work every day to reduce what they pay out.
Having a lawyer by your side will protect you from accepting lowball settlements from these parties and ensure you can seek the full compensation you deserve.
You do not need to hire legal counsel for every accident you get into, but the following situations almost always require their assistance:
The worse your injuries are, the more you’ll need a lawyer. Traumatic brain injuries, for instance, can change a victim’s life forever, requiring treatment for the rest of their life. It’s all but guaranteed that the average person will not know how to calculate what such injuries will cost them over time, meaning a knowledgeable attorney is essential.
The best time to hire a personal injury lawyer is much sooner than most people might think. That is primarily because evidence can start disappearing as soon as the aftermath of the accident subsides; witnesses can forget what they saw, security videos could be deleted, and evidence at the scene will get cleaned up.
Wisconsin typically gives personal injury victims three years to file a lawsuit, which may seem like a long time, but building a strong case takes months of work. Three years will go by before you know it.
Additionally, many people make significant mistakes in the first few days following their injury. They might give recorded statements to insurance companies, post about their accident on social media, and forgo their follow-up doctor appointments.
These early mistakes can ruin a case, as they essentially act as fodder for an insurance company to claim you don’t need compensation.
Many people avoid lawyers because they worry about the associated costs, but all that does is show a lack of understanding as to how personal injury lawyers work.
Most personal injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, which means:
Contingency fees allow you to obtain legal help without any financial risk. They also motivate lawyers to give it their all in any case they take on, seeing as they’ll only get paid if their client does. Additionally, most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations, allowing clients to receive professional advice about their circumstances without being obligated to hire them.
The right personal injury lawyer will do much more for you than just go to court (which rarely happens anyway, as most cases settle). They will do the following to strive for the best possible outcome:
People who hire lawyers get larger payments on average than those who handle claims themselves, even after paying their lawyer’s fee.
Deciding whether to hire a lawyer isn’t always simple. But even if you’re not sure, most personal injury lawyers will give you an honest opinion. In turn, you’ll learn about your rights and gain a better understanding of your options, even if you decide to handle things yourself.
Nevertheless, if you’ve been hurt in Madison because of someone else’s carelessness, Eisenberg Law Offices, S.C. is here for you. With decades of experience handling personal injury cases in Wisconsin, our Madison personal injury lawyers can help you understand your options and find the best path forward. Contact us today at (608) 256-8356 to schedule a free consultation.
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