While hiring a lawyer might seem like just another expense, there are many reasons why hiring a lawyer is a good idea. Lawyers can help with things that you might not have considered, from preventing possible legal issues to representing you in cases involving complex areas of law. Besides, many lawyers don’t actually cost as much as you might think. Personal injury lawyers, in fact, won’t cost you anything, because they work on contingency.
This piece highlights some of the biggest reasons hiring a good attorney is worth your while. Hiring an attorney can save you a lot in the long-run. If you think you have a personal injury case, in particular, one of the best favors you can do yourself is to hire an experienced lawyer to represent you who is equipped to secure compensation for your injuries.
1. Lawyers Interpret Law
Possibly one of the most useful aspects of hiring a lawyer is having someone to help figure out the legal language and jargon that everyone comes across at some point, such as in contracts. The truth is that many legal documents could be written more plainly than they are. In fact, the federal government has created principles for its own agencies to produce plain legal documents.
Still, the legacy of complicated writing in legal documents remains embedded in laws and template legal documents, and many lawyers continue to practice using overly-complicated language. And, to be fair, some areas of law are just complex, like tax law, making it hard to simplify their terms. You may be facing a complex contract, or are trying to learn about an area of the law for your own enterprises. In any case, an attorney can help interpret and explain complex language that you are likely to come across.
2. Lawyers Help Prevent Problems
Having a lawyer right from the start of any enterprise or activity you may be engaged in can prevent unnecessary problems. For instance, a lawyer can tell you the risks and problems you could face in taking on legal liabilities, such as by signing certain legal documents. Having a lawyer to help avoid a problem from the get-go is often the most valuable legal move you can make.
2. Lawyers Bring Lawsuits and Handle Defendants, Like Insurance Companies
Sometimes, problems are past being prevented, such as in personal injury cases, and you may need to file a lawsuit to recover compensation. A lawyer can help. An attorney with experience in the kind of case you are dealing with can help you make the best decisions and deal with the stresses of legal action, such as negotiating with defendants. In most personal injury lawsuits, an individual defendant won’t be the main opposition you need to overcome—their insurer will be.
Personal injury cases, such as vehicle collisions, typically require dealing with both your own and the other party’s insurance. Insurance companies have complicated operations and are often difficult to deal with. Insurance companies are incentivized to pay out as little as possible to victims, and will often try to pressure victims to cave to low settlement offers. Having a lawyer who has experience dealing with insurance companies at your side can give you the leverage you need to push back on insurance companies and recover fair compensation in a personal injury case.
3. Lawyers Know How and What to Investigate
Attorneys know the ins-and-outs of laws and have many resources at their disposal that non-lawyers typically lack. Attorneys have access to research databases to find the laws applicable to your case, and know how to collect key evidence, from medical records to insurance claims to bills and expenses resulting from your accident. In the long run, this professional help will save you time, frustration, and money.
4. Lawyers Secure Fair Settlements
In most cases, personal injury claims resolve before a court judgment via settlement agreements. Basically, settling a case means you let go of your lawsuit in exchange for payment from the other party or their insurance company. Settlements save time and money for everyone involved and provide you with the compensation you need sooner. Lawyers know the best tactics to get a fair settlement and can help you determine whether to take an offer or keep fighting in court for the compensation you deserve.
5. Lawyers Litigate
If you don’t settle a personal injury case, you will continue to litigate and a court will eventually decide the case. Litigation is long and complex, but lawyers can help. An experienced personal injury attorney will know the applicable procedural and substantive laws, collect evidence you need to prove your case, and represent you before the judge at hearings. You can make your strongest case with the help of a good attorney.
6. Lawyers Deal With Other Lawyers
If your case is severe enough to make it worth your while to file a lawsuit, your opponent will likely have their own lawyer. Lawyers can be intimidating to face on your own. An experienced personal injury attorney will know how to deal with lawyers on the other side and prevent them from paying out less than you deserve.
8. Lawyers Are More Affordable Than You May Think
Most personal injury lawyers don’t require payment unless they secure compensation for their clients. This means that you have access to their time, talents, and resources without having to pay for it until they succeed in getting you compensation. At that point, they will take a percentage of the settlement or damages amount as their fees.
Lawyers know how to get much bigger settlements, meaning more money for you. In all likelihood, you’ll come out with more money by hiring a lawyer than you would going it alone.
Picking the right lawyer may seem like a difficult task. But do your research and ask for recommendations from family and friends. Once you’ve done your due diligence, don’t hesitate to contact an attorney. Often, attorneys will offer free consultations, so you can get a better feel for them, and make sure you’re hiring someone you can trust.