A lot of people think they can go without a personal injury lawyer when they’ve been involved in an accident, but this is a HUGE mistake!
Personal injury law simply is really complicated, and a lot of accident victims don’t realize what they’re full rightful compensation is without the assistance of a duque personal injury lawyer. There’s no denying that countless personal injury clients come to experienced legal specialists with absolutely no clue what they’re doing or what to expect from their legal scenario, so below we’ll be going over 10 common mistakes that personal injury clients make.
And by going through this following list, we’re confident that you’ll be much more prepared to tackle your personal injury claim successfully!
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Being Concerned About A Jury Being Involved With The Personal Injury Court Hearing
Civil law claims like personal injury claims will rarely even go to trail, and when they do they’ll be overseen by a judge and not a jury. A lot of personal injury clients get confused about just how intimidating these legal proceedings are, and you should simply know that these aren’t scary court procedures.
Only about 1% of personal injury claims go to court, and these claims are typically only the largest ones in which insurance providers are willing to fight how forthright the claimant has been while filing their claim.
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Assuming That Your Personal Injury Lawyer Will Always Be Honing In On Your Case
A lot of personal injury claimants will have this assumption in their minds, but it’s important to realize that your lawyer will likely have dozens if not hundreds of simultaneous cases that they’re working on. There are some paralegals that will work on 500+ simultaneous car accident claims!
Your best bet when it comes to getting the attention that your personal injury claim deserves is to simply be in consistent talks with your lawyer. This includes slightly nudging them towards assisting your when it seems as though they’ve forgotten about you.
However, if it becomes blatantly apparent that your attorney is too busy to deal with your claim, then it might be time to move on.
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Not Asking Certain Questions Out Of Fear Of Coming Off Wrong
Some personal injury clients get sucked into this concept that their case is pretty straightforward, which then makes them more hesitant to ask certain questions to their lawyer. It’s important to never take this type of mindset when working with a legal specialist, because this is your legal scenario and you have every right to know the intricate details that you find pressing!
It’s your lawyer’s job to answer your questions/concerns to the best of their ability, and personal injury law just so happens to be really complicated. A lot of questions simply won’t have straightforward answers, so you should always feel free to ask questions as you deem necessary.
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Having The Assumption That It Will Be Easy To Have A Successful Compensation Claim
Although it’s true that some personal injury claims are relatively straightforward, the vast majority of these legal scenarios involve really intricate legal workings and details. There are also many personal injury claims brought forward by an employee against their employer, and these situations tend to be pretty tricky.
This is why personal injury clients and their attorney should always conduct a comprehensive overview of the pros and cons associated with going forward with a claim.
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Simply Not Holding Onto Key Evidence
One of the first things that you should do after experiencing an accident is gather up as much evidence as you can, depending upon your condition. But if possible, it’ll be really beneficial to take pictures/videos with your phone and write everything down. If there are witnesses, speak to them and get their contact information.
It’s important for claimants to be proactive in terms of gathering evidence, but of course your injuries may hold you back during these crucial moments. But it will ultimately be your job to prove that the other party’s negligence caused your accident in order to have a successful claim, and failing to gather the necessary amount of evidence will undoubtedly hold you back.
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Quickly Settling Your Claim Prior To Obtaining A Comprehensive Amount Of Medical Evidence
A lot of insurance providers will respond to a personal injury claim by offering a somewhat random sum of immediate compensation, and they do this because they think they can trick claimants with money before they actually know how much their claim is truly worth.
This is one of the reasons why your lawyer should do your speaking for you during these negotiation processes, but in the end your lawyer will not be fully capable of handling these negotiations without having comprehensive medical evidence.
There are certain scenarios in which accepting these offers from insurance providers is a good move, and your lawyer will help you better understand when it’s appropriate to be skeptical or pull the trigger.
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Solely Relying Upon A General Practitioner’s Medical Report
There are plenty of scenarios in which a General Practitioner’s expert witness testimony is completely wrong, and being misdiagnosed by one of these medical experts is a lot more common than most people would probably assume.
This is why personal injury clients should always request being referred to a medical specialist, who will provide you with a second opinion that could very well play a major role in the outcome of your settlement.
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Having The General Assumption That Every Personal Injury Law Firm Will Provide The Same Outcomes
There are plenty of car accident victims that will simply choose the law firm that their insurance provider recommends to them, and they’ll make this hiring decision without conducting an adequate amount of research into the firm! You should always shop around when it comes to hiring a personal injury specialist, and you should ask yourself the following questions during the process:
- How close is the law firm to your home?
- Can you meet the legal executive?
- Do you trust the legal specialist?
- How qualified are they as a legal specialist?
- How many simultaneous clients do they currently have?
- Where exactly will the profits from your personal injury claim go?
- Do they provide any free legal advice?
- Will they charge you based upon a contingency fee?
You should feel empowered during these personal injury claim hiring processes, because it’s your case and you have the full right to choose your legal representation.
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Settling Too Soon
This is definitely a very common, and huge, mistake that personal injury clients make. You should try to ensure that your physical/psychological recovery has fully completed before settling your claim, if possible. If you’ve incurred permanent injuries, then you should ensure that there’s medical evidence proving this permanence and your necessary ongoing medical needs.
You don’t want your injuries to continue after settling your claim, because this is a clear sign that you didn’t obtain your full and rightful compensation for your damages. Although there are scenarios in which you can claim that you were given negligent legal advice and later obtain more compensation for your injuries, it’s always best to settle your claim correctly the first time!
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Not Correctly Keeping Your Personal Records Oriented Around Your Financial Setbacks
This is such a frustrating mistake for personal injury clients to make, but it goes to show just how important it is to keep your personal records in a safe place so you’re keeping track of all the costs associated with your accident. This includes keeping all of your receipts, recording your phone conversations, and keeping your lawyer in the loop throughout every step of the process.
A personal injury claim is very similar to an insurance claim, which means that even the smallest costs should be adequately recorded. Your lawyer will help you when it comes to knowing what is potentially claimable.
Always Hire Professional Legal Assistance When You’re The Victim Of Someone Else’s Negligence
Getting your full and rightful compensation as a personal injury client is always a lot easier said than done, but with the right legal representation you should obtain a favorable settlement outcome!
Content Provided By Forensis Group – construction engineering expert witness