When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you sustained a personal injury, you need to hire a personal injury lawyer. We bet you didn’t see that coming. Most people file personal injury lawsuits to obtain justice and compensation. If a competent lawyer doesn’t handle their claims, these two goals are almost impossible to achieve.

Insurance companies don’t care about justice or fairness. They care about protecting their profits, which are considerable. Insurance companies earn over $1 trillion annually. These companies quickly hire high-priced lawyers. So, a court battle between an insurance company and an unrepresented victim is like a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Maximum compensation is another reason to hire a personal injury lawyer. Although they drag their feet and often fight claims tooth and nail, these companies pay millions of dollars to settle personal injury claims. But unrepresented victims only receive a fraction of that money.

If you’ve been hurt in an accident, you need a Beverly Hills Personal Injury Attorney, and the sooner you hire one, the better. Victims have the burden of proof in court. Every passing day makes this evidence harder to obtain. Furthermore, the statute of limitations is very short in these cases.

Responsibility Issues

Despite these facts, many personal injury victims don’t hire a lawyer because they don’t want to “blame” a tortfeasor (negligent actor) for an “accident.” We get that. But these noble sentiments are misplaced. Let’s check this detailed report: Century of Change in Personal Injury Law.

Civil cases don’t blame anyone for anything. Instead, they compel tortfeasors to accept responsibility for their mistakes. California would be an even better place to live if people showed they were sorry instead of simply saying “I’m sorry.” In a perfect world, tortfeasors would eagerly step up, admit their mistakes, and fully compensate victims. But we don’t live in a perfect world.

On a related note, tortfeasors aren’t financially responsible for attorneys fees, damages, or any other litigation-related costs, at least in most cases. Usually, an insurance company pays those bills.

Qualities to Look For!

Before 1990, any Personal Injury Lawyer Beverly Hills with a pulse could obtain maximum compensation and complete justice in a personal injury case. Then, a few controversial cases, like the 1994 McDonald’s hot coffee case, triggered a wave of victim-unfriendly legal changes. Public opinion also turned against lawsuit victims.

Today, the plaintiff’s win rate has plummeted. To make up for this loss, a lawyer must have the right combination of experience and dedication. The late Grant Cooper, who represented RFK assassin Sirhan Sirhan in 1969, is a good example.

Cooper was an experienced lawyer. But he was a celebrity lawyer, not a dedicated criminal lawyer. For example, Shirley Temple hired Cooper in her 1950 divorce from B-movie actor and John Wayne sidekick John Agar.

As a result, he missed some inconsistencies in the state’s evidence which, according to many, may have significantly altered the outcome of that case.

The Legal Process

Unless you hire a personal injury lawyer, you must navigate through the complex legal system on your own. That’s like stumbling around in a dark room.

Usually, the legal process begins long before a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer files legal paperwork. Before then, an attorney diligently gathers facts, researches the law, and builds a case.

Evidence in a personal injury claim usually includes the police incident report or other official reports, witness statements, and medical bills. Sometimes, attorneys must supplement this evidence. For example, if no competent witnesses are available, as is often the case in nighttime freeway car crashes, attorneys often use electronic evidence, like a vehicle’s onboard computer, to reconstruct the incident.

Most personal injury claims assert negligence, which is basically a lack of care. For example, motorists breach their duty of care when they drive aggressively or while impaired. Other legal theories, such as strict liability, are available in some cases. Negligence defenses, such as comparative fault, may be available as well.

At this point, an attorney usually files legal paperwork, officially starting the legal process. To justify their high fees, insurance company lawyers often file procedural motions, but these motions usually fail.

Mediation, a court-supervised negotiation session, usually comes next. During mediation, both parties, including the insurance company, have a duty to negotiate in good faith. This duty covers both liability (legal responsibility) and damages (amount of compensation).

Consult Our Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Today!

Hire a personal injury attorney to secure the best possible outcome. For a free consultation with an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney, contact the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.

Credit: Photo by Midjourney