Top 10 List: Reasons to Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney

10. EXPERIENCE ASSESSING CLAIMS. Personal injury attorneys are experienced with cases like yours and can tell you at the outset whether it is worth your while to pursue legal action. If you are unlikely to prevail, you will not need to incur the time and expense of preparing for litigation.

9. NO FEES IF YOU DON'T RECOVER. Most personal injury attorneys work for a contingency fee, which means that if you do not win your case, you will pay no attorneys' fees. You will, however, be responsible for certain expenses not directly related to professional fees, such as the fees doctors charge for reviewing your records or being interviewed.

8. RED TAPE. An experienced attorney can work through the maze of paperwork necessary to resolve your claim so that you can get on with your life.

7. INVESTIGATIVE TEAM. Experienced attorneys work with a team of investigators who have experience in specialized areas and will skillfully investigate the technical aspects of your case.

6. OBJECTIVITY. A personal injury attorney can be more objective about your case than you can and will not make a rash decision. Whereas you may be tempted, for instance, to go for a quick payout, your attorney may counsel you that it is in your best interests to wait for a more appropriate offer.

5. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. An experienced attorney will know whether your dispute may be best resolved through mediation, thereby saving you time, money, and emotional energy.

4. EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH OTHER LAWYERS. An experienced personal injury lawyer can deal most effectively and expediently with opposing counsel.

3. EXPERIENCE WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES. Lawyers are also used to working with insurance companies and will not be confused by their tactics or feel pressured to settle for an unsatisfactory amount.

2. BEST SETTLEMENTS. Personal injury attorneys work hard to reach the best settlements for their clients, as early in the litigation process as possible.

1. BEST JURY VERDICTS. If a trial becomes necessary, a personal injury lawyer can zealously represent you in court and work toward achieving the best possible jury verdict in your favor.

Personal Injury Resource Links

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Features labor data, surveys, publications and more.

CDC Health Topic
Injuries From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Features information on accident causes and prevention, traffic fatalities, drowning, falls, and more.

Division of Quality Assurance
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Links to National Practitioner Data Bank and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety / Highway Loss Data Institute
Features vehicle ratings, safety facts, publications and more.

MEDLINEplus
Accidents Features articles on accident prevention and safety.

Read More

Frequently Asked Questions about Personal Injury

Q: I've been hurt in an accident and I want to file a claim for my injuries. What's the first thing I should do?

A: There are a number of things you can do in the first few days and weeks after an accident to protect your right to compensation, such as:

1. write down as much as you can about the accident itself, your injuries and any other losses (such as wages) you've suffered as a result of the accident;
2. make notes of conversations that you have with people involved in the accident or the injury claim;
3. preserve evidence of who caused the accident and what damage was done by collecting physical evidence and taking photographs;
4. locate people who witnessed the accident and who might be able to help you prove your case;
5. notify anyone you think might be responsible for the accident of your intention to file a claim for your injuries, especially if a government agency or employee may be involved;and
6. contact a personal injury attorney to evaluate and pursue your claim.

Q: How do I know if I have a personal injury case?

A: First, you must have suffered an injury to your person or property. Second, you should consider whether your injury was the result of someone else's fault. It is not always necessary to have a physical injury to bring a personal injury lawsuit. Personal injury claims are often based on a variety of non-physical losses and harms. In the case of an assault, for example, you do not need to show that a person's action caused you actual physical harm, but only that you expected some harm to come to you. You also may have a case if someone has attacked your reputation, invaded your privacy, or inflicted emotional distress upon you.

Read More