When Do You Need to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

“We asked attorneys from around the US to answer a simple, yet important question: “When Do I Need to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?”

Keep in mind that the insurance companies have teams of lawyers and adjusters who begin evaluating your claim right away. Because of this, it is essential you retain legal counsel immediately to level the playing field.

If you’ve been injured in an accident that you believe was someone else’s fault, you probably have a lot of questions running through your head. Like most people, one of the first questions you are thinking about revolves around whether you are going to need an attorney or whether you can handle your claim on your own. This article is designed for exactly that: to help you decide when you need to hire a personal injury attorney.

How To Find The Best Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me

Keep in mind, there are several important factors or criteria that will help you find the top injury claim lawyer. Here are some recommendations:

Select an injury lawyer or law firm that represents only plaintiffs (and doesn’t defend insurance companies) and limits their practice to personal injury claims and related matters (i.e., workers compensation, civil sexual assault claims and lawsuits against the manufacturers of dangerous drugs). Avoid the jack of all trades, master of nothing lawyer or firm that handles numerous areas of the law. It is very difficult to competently handle various areas of the law. If you are stating to yourself, “I need an injury lawyer,” make sure you are picking one who represents only plaintiffs (injury victims and does not represent the interest of any insurance carrier).

Look at the firm’s reviews. A large portion of our personal injury business has been built off referrals from former and current clients whom have been satisfied with the personal attention we offer our clients.

Does the attorney have time for you? This is very important. In almost every city in the country, there are attorneys that use their personal image to market their firm. But in reality, you will likely never meet–much less work with–those lawyers. Instead, they have a team of junior lawyers handling their cases. At Dolman Law Group, our attorneys are not only experienced and skilled at what they do, but we also understand the human-element and make sure that our clients can feel that. Our motto is “big firm results with small firm personal attention” and we mean it. When you work with our firm you will get the personal cell phone number of your attorney. Ask the lawyer you are considering if they are willing to give you their actual cell number.

When searching for the” best personal injury lawyer near me,” keep in mind that Dolman Law Group and Sibley Dolman maintains offices on both coasts, including, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Bradenton, New Port Richey, Doral, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, North Miami Beach, and Boca Raton. The best injury attorney is one who provides personal attention and has the financial resources and experience to face any corporate adversary.

Not all situations require an attorney, but most situations in which there is a serious injury probably will require the specialized skills and knowledge of someone who knows the legal system. Your insurance company, and the other party’s insurance company, will most definitely have a team of lawyers working for them. It is not a fair game and they are not on your side.

Does My Situation Require A Personal Injury Attorney?

With that being said, there are some ways to know if your situation will require an attorney or not. No two accidents or injuries are the same, and the scenarios surrounding them are almost always unique to the client, so read on to learn more about when to hire an injury lawyer.

Here are 4 scenarios that will help you get started:

1. You Suffered a Serious Injury or Permanent Disability

If you were seriously injured in an accident or acquired a serious illness, you definitely need a lawyer. There is no room for chance when a lifetime of pain, suffering, and bills are on the line. At the very least, consulting with an injury attorney, which is free, is highly recommended. Furthermore, if you sustained an injury that is going to require long-term care or caused you a permanent disability, hiring a personal injury lawyer could be the only way to prevent serious, lifelong financial stress for you and your family.

2. You Aren’t Sure Who is At Fault

If you were involved in an accident and it is unclear who was at fault, you should definitely consult with an attorney. In situations like this, the other party’s insurance company will definitely try to blame you for damages. Talking to an attorney can help you protect your rights and defend you from counterclaims and cross-claims.

3. There Are Multiple Parties Involved

If you were injured in an accident that involved multiple parties, consulting with a personal injury lawyer will give you the best chance at not being stuck with the bill. Attorneys have the experience necessary to deal with multiple insurance companies at once and to help build a case that protects their client.

In the case of multiple parties being at fault for your injury, a lawyer will also have the skills necessary to ensure that you get all the compensation you deserve without leaving money on the table.

4. The Insurance Company Denied or is Delaying Your Claim

Insurance companies know that 99% of people do not understand all the complicated laws and procedures that take place in a personal injury claim. Because of this, they will often use their advantage to flat out deny a person’s legitimate injury claim because they know you can do nothing about it.

Likewise, insurance companies also delay claims in order to slowly beat the injured party into submission. They know that money is tight and the bills are rolling in, so they will often use this position to offer a fraction of the amount your claim is worth. If either of these situations happen, you most definitely should consult with a personal injury attorney.

An Injury Lawyer is Paid Only When The Case Settles

A personal injury attorney gets paid by winning money for their client through a personal injury lawsuit. This money comes from either an out of court settlement or from what a jury awards the plaintiff if the case goes to court. Injury attorneys do not charge their clients any upfront fees or costs, nor do they charge on an hourly basis. Instead, they charge based on what is known as a contingency fee. This means that the fee the client will pay for the attorney’s services is contingent on the outcome of the case. The amount that the client pays depends on a couple factors explained below, but it should be noted that the client only pays the attorney if the case is successful and the attorney recovers money for the client.

How much the contingency fee will be is based on a percentage of the amount the attorney recovers for the client. If the client wins, a portion of the final verdict is used to pay the attorney for their time. If the attorney is not able to recover money for one reason or another, then the client does not owe the attorney fees.

This amount varies from state to state, but as per the Florida Bar, here are the contingency fees for a Florida personal injury attorney:

If the case is settled out of court, the attorney gets paid 33.3 percent of any money recovered up to $1 million.

If the case goes to court and a jury has to decide, the attorney gets paid 40 percent of any money recovered up to $1 million.