When someone is in a serious accident, many people are involved. From police to medical professionals, many professions are involved in the process. Among these professions are attorneys. Is utilizing an attorney in an injury case really worth it? Short answer: In most cases, the answer is yes.
In an accident case, the only person fighting for your own interests is your attorney, not the other driver, and certainly not the insurance companies (including your own insurance company). Remember, insurance companies are businesses. It is their job to try and get out of a case as cheap as possible, and they will cheat you on the value of your case if given the chance. I would not say that insurance companies are per se evil, but they are a business looking to make a profit.
To protect yourself from the insurance companies, this is where the attorney comes in. The experienced attorney is able to better understand the full value of your case and how the law applies to it. The attorney will then present the case to the insurance company, demanding a certain dollar amount, this is called a demand. By having the attorney fighting in your corner of the ring, the insurance company is much more likely to cooperate in offering a fair settlement, because the threat of a lawsuit looms over their conduct. When a layperson without an attorney attempts to deal with the insurance company, there is simply no “bite behind the bark” because there is no threat of a lawsuit. Furthermore, a good attorney will have extensive experience on negotiating the proper value of your case, and know how to properly speak with the insurance adjusters.
Keep in mind, the risk of hiring an attorney is quite low. This is because most attorneys work personal injury cases on what is called a contingency fee arrangement. This means that the attorney only gets paid if he or she is successful with your case, meaning that the case successfully settles or reaches a jury verdict. If this occurs, the attorney often just gets a small portion of the case proceeds and the costs that he or she had to advance for the case. Most personal injury attorneys never ask for a retainer or anything up front. Instead they agree to work your case, and get paid at the end. Never be afraid to research your attorney and ask him or her about their qualifications and fees.
