Questions and Answers > Car Accident > Do I need to hire an attorney?
Do I need to hire an attorney?
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Understandably, there are a variety of reasons people choose not to hire an attorney. DavisMiles is a different, compentent law firm that will change your perception of lawyers.
You may be looking at this web site because you do not want to hire a lawyer to make this claim for you. Your reluctance, or even refusal, to hire a lawyer for your injury claim is understandable. However, there are some things you should consider about hiring a lawyer for a personal injury claim that are different from other legal matters. Here are some common concerns about hiring the right lawyer for your claim:
I Only Know the Big Advertisers and Don’t Want Them Many people don’t know a lawyer personally. You may only know the attorneys that run ads on television and in the phone books. Many consumers would prefer not to use those firms for a variety of reasons. Well, congratulations! You have found a competent personal injury lawyer in Arizona that is not in one of those firms. Many of those firms are unwilling to take your matter to court, even when it serves you best. Our firm is willing and experienced in trial work and will take your matter there when that is what is best for your claim. Lawyers are Expensive Chances are pretty good that you have never hired a lawyer before. If you have, it may have been an expensive and unpleasant experience in a divorce, bankruptcy, contract dispute, etc. You probably paid your lawyer no matter what the outcome of your case. Here is the good news: In a personal injury case, the attorney is paid out of the case. The attorney only gets paid if a settlement or judgment is successfully obtained. This should take the pressure off of you and place it where it belongs--on your lawyer to effectively represent you in the claim. My Injuries Are Not “Serious,” or “Catastrophic” You have likely seen law firms that emphasize “serious” injuries. This usually means that they are not interested in claims unless they involve permanent injuries, orthopedic trauma, broken bones, or surgery. Many attorneys no longer represent clients who have soft tissue or connective tissue injuries only–like whiplash or neck and back, sprain/strain injuries. We do represent clients with serious injuries, but most of our clients have the more common neck and back injuries associated with many car collisions. Even if your claim does not fall into the category of a “serious” injury, it is still disruptive to you, and you are entitled to fair treatment for your claim. And you will still be better protected with legal representation. Lawyers are Dishonest Although every profession has its black sheep, our own experience with attorneys has shown us that the vast majority of lawyers are honest men and women, trying to do what is right. Unfortunately, the dishonest people get the news headlines, so it is easy to become skeptical. Again, in a personal injury claim, you have added protections against dishonesty. There is little room for misrepresentation in an auto accident claim. You remain in charge of any settlement. You approve the amount and distribution of the funds. You will know and approve the settlement or judgment amount, and who is getting the money, before anything is paid to anyone. The Rules of Ethics that regulate attorneys require that the attorney’s fee be reasonable. Lawyers Will Take Money I Could Have Kept This one seems obvious, doesn’t it? If you share a percentage with an attorney, you will get less money, right? Not usually. Here is a hypothetical to illustrate why you will likely have more money even after paying an attorney in a personal injury claim: At the end of your treatment you have $3,000 in medical bills. On your own you make a claim, and the insurance company ultimately offers $4,000 total for your personal injury claim. After paying your medical bills, you keep $1,000. Now, let’s say that you hire a lawyer and he or she gets an $8,000 offer to settle. Your attorney negotiates the medical bill down to $2,500 and takes $2,500 for a fee. If the costs are $100, then you pocket $2,900 after paying everyone--almost 3 times what you would have achieved on your own. Plus, an attorney did the work, you avoided the headaches of dealing with the insurance company, and your attorney can file the lawsuit if the case does not settle. Yes, this was only an example, and every case is different. But we have seen similar scenarios play out hundreds of times in our own firm. They happen every day. You may be asking, as we do, why the insurance companies don’t just offer more money to the individual making a claim without a lawyer. There must be enough people accepting the low offers because they do not know the claim is worth more. A lawyer can help protect you from that same mistake. |