Personal injury lawyers help when someone becomes a victim of negligence. This can be a car accident survivor, a victim of medical malpractice, someone who has lost a loved one, or any number of other people in need of representation. Personal injury attorneys help their clients by securing fair compensation for losses like medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income, and property damage.
As an attorney works to secure fair compensation for their client, they handle a wide range of critical tasks. They also provide benefits that are not always obvious, such as peace of mind for the client and financial support for their cases.
Who Should Turn to a Personal Injury Lawyer for Help? Many People, Actually.
It’s worth calling personal injury attorneys serving your area if you believe you might have a case. Getting a personalized evaluation and customized advice is the surest way to know if you should hire an attorney.
That being said, personal injury lawyers often help those harmed by:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Drunk drivers
- Boating accidents
- Animal attacks
- Medical malpractice
- Property owner negligence (which can cause slip and falls, trip and falls, physical attacks, and other harmful events)
- Workplace accidents
- Dangerous medications
- Defective products
- Wrongful deaths
This is not a complete list. PI lawyers strive to help anyone who has suffered an injury—physically, financially, emotionally, psychologically, or otherwise—because another person or organization was negligent.
What It Means to Be Negligent
Since negligence is often the litmus test for whether someone should hire a personal injury lawyer, the concept is worth exploring further. Personal injury lawyers know negligence has occurred when:
- They find someone who has a duty of care: When we say “duty of care,” we mean that someone has a responsibility to act in a reasonable way. For example, a doctor has a duty of care to warn their patient of risks, and a driver has a duty to obey the speed limit and pay attention to the road.
- They discover that the person violated their duty of care: After a client comes to a lawyer with an injury or other types of harm, the attorney will investigate how the injury happened. They may discover that an at-fault party violated their duty of care. As an example, they might discover that a motorist sped and caused an accident, which would be a breach of the motorist’s duty of care.
- They prove that the breach of duty of care caused someone else harm: The attorney must establish a direct connection between the breach of duty of care and their client’s injury. They might use witness testimony, video, and various other types of evidence to prove causation.
- They can identify damages resulting from the breach of duty of care: The final step in proving negligence is to detail the harm that the at-fault party’s negligence caused. In addition to injuries, such damages may include physical pain, financial expenses, emotional anguish, and psychological distress.
Do not worry if the basics of negligence don’t make total sense. That’s what a lawyer is for. Along with many other ways of helping, your lawyer will explain in simple terms whether you are the victim of negligence—and whether you have reason to hire them for your case.
What’s the Value in Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney?
A personal injury lawyer is undoubtedly a valuable resource. In fact, it’s difficult to create a single list that fully captures a lawyer’s value, as they:
Reassure Their Clients (and Calm Their Nerves)
You may feel immediately reassured and relieved when you hire a lawyer because:
- Any time we accept the help of someone we deem competent and knowledgeable, we may feel assured that matters will end up as they should
- A lawyer will provide you immediate instructions (which may include “do nothing and let me handle your case”), and such straightforward instructions may be just what you need
- The protection a lawyer provides may give you the sense that your case is in good hands
Empathy and compassion are at the heart of what lawyers do. Your legal team will relate to you in a human way. They may even help with medical appointments and assist in other ways that aid your healing.
Ease the Client’s Financial Worries (and Pay for Their Case)
Most clients who hire a personal injury lawyer have financial concerns. They may anticipate expensive medical bills, be unable to work because of injuries, and have concerns about the cost of an attorney.
Hiring a personal injury lawyer will not worsen any financial stresses you’re facing. In fact, a lawyer can significantly improve your financial situation because:
- Their goal is to deliver compensation to you, and they will strive to ensure that compensation covers all economic and non-economic damages you’re experiencing
- Law firms know that personal injury cases cost money, and good firms have no qualms investing money and other resources (like on-staff paralegals and investigators) into their cases
- Personal injury attorneys get paid based on results, and contingency fees (which most personal injury lawyers use) mean the lawyer’s fee comes from their financial recovery, not directly from their client
Personal injury lawyers share a common mission. They will use their financial resources and pursue maximum financial recovery for their clients to improve their clients’ lives.
Provide a Tailor-Made Strategy
There is no cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all approach in personal injury cases. Lawyers view each client as independent and worthy of a personalized case plan.
A personalized case plan should:
- Include pivot points, such as transitioning from an insurance claim to a lawsuit
- Show you that your attorney has a clear mission (and enable you to evaluate your attorney as they lead your case)
- Allow you to see how your case is progressing
- Help you make informed decisions because you understand the underlying strategy of your case
The case plan will account for all relevant variables, from insurance policies to the cost of your damages.
Leverage Their Training and Experience for the Client’s Benefit
Those who want a job done well should turn to those with experience. When you want to secure fair compensation for the harm a negligent party has caused, why not hire an attorney with experience leading similar cases?
A qualified attorney will offer:
- Formal legal training (with law school and licensing through the Bar Association ensuring that every practicing attorney is qualified to do so)
- An intimate familiarity with legal statutes and insurance rules related to your case
- Years of experience, which should include success in cases similar to yours
You may not have been in the circumstances you’re currently facing. A lawyer may have helped clients who’ve been through what you are going through. Lean on their experience, as it will benefit you in foreseeable and unanticipated ways.
What a Personal Injury Lawyer Does for Their Client Varies by Case (Representation Is Personalized)
Each case has to unfold in its own unique way. Your lawyer will have a plan, but you know what they say about man’s best-laid plans.
A capable lawyer can alter their strategy and pivot, and experienced attorneys are no strangers to predictable and unexpected challenges. That being said, there are responsibilities that attorneys handle in most of their cases, and these duties include:
Protecting the Case and Dealing with Insurance Companies
Protecting a client’s case and dealing with insurance companies can be one in the same. Insurance companies can:
- Convince a claimant that a settlement offer is fair when, in truth, it is far less than the claimant deserves
- Misrepresent policy details or other relevant aspects of the claims process
- Deny valid claims
- Negotiate in bad faith
- Engage in other strategies that serve the insurance company’s interests (while undermining the claimant’s interests)
Insurance companies can be multi-million-dollar or even multi-billion-dollar organizations. Hiring a personal injury lawyer will protect you from these companies and any bad-faith tactics they use during your case.
Documenting Damages and Valuing the Case
Your personal injury lawyer will document all the harm caused by the at-fault party’s negligence. Steps attorneys often take to document their clients’ damages include:
- Reaching out to the client’s medical providers, securing all records and bills that are relevant to the case
- Hiring experts, which may include a mental health professional who documents the client’s pain and suffering
- Obtaining all financial records related to the case, which may include evidence of lost income and documentation of case-related expenses (like vehicle repairs after a car accident)
Your lawyer will know how to prove each of your damages. They may even rely on you to provide testimony, as you may have poignant insights about the cost of the at-fault party’s negligence.
Negotiating with Liable Parties (If Those Parties Will Negotiate in Good Faith)
Given the chance, your lawyer will likely negotiate a settlement for you. The question is whether liable parties intend to negotiate in good faith.
Generally, a liable insurance company will at least offer the claimant a settlement. However, some insurers deny claims, refuse to alter a lowball offer, and do not negotiate in good faith.
Reviewing Settlement Offers with the Client
If you receive any settlement offers from liable parties, expect your lawyer to:
- Call you right away and inform you of an offer
- Provide you all relevant details of the offer
- Explain whether they think the offer is fair
- Get your feedback about the offer, including whether you want to accept
If you and your attorney do not believe an offer is fair, expect your legal team to continue fighting. They may continue to negotiate a settlement or take other steps, such as filing a lawsuit.
Filing and Completing a Lawsuit, If the Client Chooses To
Filing lawsuits is a critical feature of a personal injury lawyer’s job description. This is important because:
- At-fault parties do not always have insurance (in these cases, suing the at-fault party may be the only way for a victim to get justice)
- Insurance companies do not always provide fair settlements, in which case it may also be necessary to sue
- When liable parties know an attorney is handling your case, and the attorney is willing to file a lawsuit, those liable parties may extend a fairer offer than they otherwise would
Your lawyer will be aware of any filing deadline should you choose to pursue a lawsuit. Suing does not necessarily mean going to court. If your lawyer does not receive a fair settlement offer after filing the lawsuit, though, their next step may be fighting for you at trial.
What Damages Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Obtain Compensation For?
Injuries are often the trigger for a personal injury case (hence the term “personal injury”). Sickness can be another reason for you to hire an attorney. Some common damages in cases involving injury and illness include:
- Medical costs, often among the more expensive damages in personal injury cases (the healthcare system is notoriously costly and daunting medical bills are often why clients turn to lawyers for help)
- Pain and suffering, which can refer to pain conditions, psychological difficulties, emotional anguish, lost quality of life, and other non-economic harm stemming from negligence
- Lost income and other types of professional harm, which may include diminished earning capacity (including lost bonuses) and lost benefits
Certain case types come with common damages. In cases involving traffic accidents, for example, attorneys often seek money to cover vehicle repairs.
An experienced personal injury lawyer knows precisely how to identify damages, document damages, and determine the financial value of damages. Let a lawyer handle these critical responsibilities for you.
So, When Is the Right Time to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
If you even suspect you might have reason to hire a personal injury lawyer, do not wait to speak with firms serving your geographical area. There’s absolutely no risk in calling—consultations are free.
From filing deadlines to time-sensitive evidence, there are many reasons to find your ideal personal injury lawyer as soon as you can. The sooner your lawyer can start building a strong case, the better chances of a positive outcome. Call today.
