(Newswire.net — September 20, 2019) — Most people go through life without ever needing the services of a personal injury lawyer. But sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you find yourself on the wrong end of a precarious situation. It’s in these moments that you need help.
Don’t Fall for These 4 Myths
Because most folks never have to hire a personal injury lawyer, few people have a firsthand understanding of what it’s like to work with one. As a result, you’re likely to form your opinion based on gaudy TV commercials and sensational news headlines – neither of which accurately portray reality.
Whether you find yourself dealing with the aftermath of a car wreck, truck accident, workers’ compensation claim, or catastrophic fall, make sure you don’t fall for these myths.
1. My Injuries Aren’t Significant Enough to Need a Lawyer
You’ll commonly hear people say their injuries aren’t significant enough to justify hiring a lawyer. But in most cases, this simply isn’t true.
The thing about injuries – particularly ones that stem from a traumatic event like a car or truck accident – is that they don’t always immediately reveal themselves in the form of recognizable symptoms. It’s also easy to underestimate the extent of an injury, which can lead you to devalue the true lifetime cost of dealing with the injury. (For example, what is a $500 medical bill today could eventually become a $25,000 problem over the next decade of your life.)
In addition to getting a medical evaluation from a skilled doctor, you also need an attorney to help estimate the actual lifetime cost of the sustained injuries.
2. Personal Injury Lawyers are Selfish
The second myth is that injury lawyers are selfish, greedy individuals who only care about padding their own wallets and making a name for themselves. And while there are some lawyers who only care about making money, these ambulance chasers are few and far between. In fact, most injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee structure.
“We work on a contingency basis,” Tate Law Offices explains. “This means you pay no case costs or attorney fees unless you receive a settlement or verdict in your favor. We will only be paid a percentage from the final recovery and reimbursed the case costs if we win.”
When you realize that attorneys are basically working for free unless they help you win a case, you’ll see that the “selfish” myth doesn’t really hold water. At the end of the day, they want you to receive a settlement or verdict as much as anyone else.
3. All Personal Injury Lawyers Are the Same
If you’ve seen one in-your-face personal injury television ad, you’ve seen them all. They’re loud, obnoxious, and cringeworthy. But don’t let this define how you see all personal injury attorneys.
Personal injury lawyers are as diverse as sales professionals, athletes, musicians, and entrepreneurs. Each lawyer has a unique skillset, personality, and set of core values. When looking for any injury lawyer, feel free to set up consultations and meet with two or three different attorneys. You’ll find that many are highly personable, transparent, and easy to get along with.
4. I Can Take My Time to Hire a Lawyer
Personal injury victims often assume they can take their time and wait to hire a lawyer. Some will take months or even years to make a decision. Unfortunately, this can lead to your case being tossed out. All 50 states have specific deadlines for filing lawsuits. These deadlines are known as statutes of limitations.
“The statute of limitations is a very strict deadline,” Nolo explains. “If, for whatever reason, you don’t file a lawsuit for a personal injury claim until after the statute of limitation expires, your lawsuit will almost certainly be dismissed.”
Look up the rules in your state and begin looking for a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Delaying your case will only make life harder.
Final Thoughts
Every personal injury lawyer is different, but you can rest easy knowing that most attorneys are hard-working, honest professionals who want what’s best for their clients. As long as you take the time to find the right attorney, you should find your experience to be a positive one. If nothing else, it’ll squash the myths that are so often circulated online.