If you’ve been injured in an accident, is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney? While many people assume that hiring an attorney is expensive and time-consuming, this is not the case. In fact, when you hire an attorney to represent you, you can collect more while spending less time dealing with the insurance companies.
Bakersfield personal injury attorney Mickey Fine has helped the wrongfully injured pursue the justice and compensation they deserve for years. While no attorney can guarantee verdicts or settlements, your chance of obtaining the maximum compensation to which you may be entitled is greatly increased when you have an experienced attorney in your corner.
5 Reasons Why It’s Worth It to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Here are five reasons why it is worth it to hire a personal injury attorney after an accident in Bakersfield:
1. You Need to Know What Claim(s) to File
Several different parties can be liable for an accident. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, the other driver could be to blame, but you could also have a claim against a vehicle manufacturer, repair shop, or government agency that is responsible for the road. If you slipped and fell while you were shopping, should you sue the business owner? Or, should you sue the owner of the property?
A personal injury attorney can investigate your case and determine what claim (or claims) you need to file. Your attorney can also gather all of the evidence that is needed to prove your right to just compensation.
2. You Need to Prove Your Right to Coverage
Gathering evidence is just the first step toward proving your right to coverage. You need to get the insurance companies to review your evidence, and you need to convince the insurance companies that your evidence clearly establishes liability. This requires not only a comprehensive understanding of all of the factors involved in your accident but also in-depth knowledge of the California laws that apply to your type of accident claim.
3. You Need to Prove How Much You are Entitled to Recover
In addition to proving your right to coverage, you also need to prove how much you are entitled to recover. This is a process all on its own.
Consider this: If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you are entitled to financial compensation for all of your current and future losses. This includes both financial and non-financial losses you incur as a result of your injuries. To make sure you accurately calculate just compensation for your future medical needs, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, and all of the other losses you are entitled to recover under California law, you will need an experienced personal injury attorney on your side.
4. You Need to Be Able to Negotiate for a Fair Settlement
Even if you can prove liability and prove how much you are entitled to recover, this still isn’t enough to favorably resolve your personal injury claim. You also need to be able to negotiate for a fair settlement.
You may have heard that most personal injury claims settle; and, because of this, you might think you can negotiate a settlement on your own. But, while it is true that most claims settle, it is also true that many accident victims settle for a small fraction of the amount they are owed.
An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to help maximize the amount of your recovery through the settlement process. Your attorney will be familiar with the insurance company’s tactics and the ways to overcome them. Your attorney will also be able to use his or her prior experience to help you make informed decisions about when (and if) to settle, and this will allow you to feel confident that you made the right choice for you and your family.
5. You Need to Show You are Prepared to Go to Trial
Finally, while you may have no interest in going to court (most accident victims don’t), you need to show that you are willing to go to court if necessary. If you don’t have a personal injury attorney, the insurance companies will know that you aren’t prepared to go to trial. They will use this against you, and they will offer a lower settlement because they know that accepting will be your only realistic option.
Contact a Bakersfield Personal Injury for Free
It costs nothing out-of-pocket to hire a Bakersfield personal injury attorney at The Law Offices of Mickey Fine, and we won’t charge you anything unless we help you recover your accident-related losses.
To learn more in a free, no-obligation consultation, call (661) 333-3333 or tell us about your accident online today.