There are all sorts of reasons why injury victims might put off their initial consultation with a personal injury attorney. Unfortunately, this often turns out to be a costly mistake. It’s not uncommon for time-sensitive evidence to become unavailable, and any recorded statements you provide to the insurance adjuster might be used to dispute your claim. A single oversight early in the proceedings could jeopardize your entire case, but you’ll be far less likely to make a critical error if you have a skilled lawyer by your side from day one.
Let’s take a closer look at the reasons to hire a personal injury attorney immediately after an incident causing injury:
Insurance adjusters are essentially professional negotiators who are tasked with finding reasons to deny or reduce the value of claims. They know how to word questions to coerce claimants into providing statements that can be used to dispute liability or damages. A seasoned injury lawyer will be well-versed in the tactics used by the insurance adjuster and can handle all such correspondence, so you don’t inadvertently say something that harms your case.
The insurance company may try to offer a low settlement within just a few weeks of the accident. If you agree to the initial offer and sign a release, you’ll be waiving your right to seek further compensation if your damages turn out to be more extensive than anticipated. Your attorney can review your medical records, financial documentation, and other evidence of damages to calculate a fair settlement amount. Your lawyer can also help you determine the most strategic time to initiate settlement negotiations, which may not be until you’ve reached maximum medical improvement. Certainly, having an accomplished trial attorney by your side – one that actually goes to trial in these types of cases – will give the insurer more incentive to settle.
There are countless mistakes a personal injury claimant can make that could lead to an unnecessary delay or complication. A skilled attorney can help you avoid costly errors and oversights such as:
The personal injury lawyers at Hodge & Langley Law Firm offer free consultations and accept nearly all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you pay nothing up front for our legal services.* If we are successful, our fee will be a percentage of the settlement or award we obtain for you; if we are not successful, you will owe us no attorney fees or costs. With over 50 combined years in legal practice, our lawyers have the experience to help you make informed decisions and ensure you are well-represented through every stage of the proceedings.
Call us today at 864-585-3873 or use our Contact Page to set up a free initial consultation. A member of our team can come to you if you are unable to come to us.
*The vast majority of these cases are handled on a contingency basis, however we will consider hourly fee arrangements on a case by case basis in matters for which a specific monetary recovery may not be the client’s ultimate goal. This consideration will be solely in the discretion of the attorneys at Hodge & Langley Law Firm.
Submission of information in this contact form does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In order to establish such a relationship with our firm we require a direct meeting with the attorney.
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