How Do You Know If You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Most people are pretty shaken up and confused after a car accident, a fall, or another accident that causes injuries. It completely disrupts plans and expectations, and it’s not a situation most people have experienced before. It is natural to be uncertain about what to do.

The first step is easy. No matter what type of accident you’ve had, the most important thing to do is to get a thorough medical exam and make sure the doctor knows you’ve been in an accident so they can look for signs of traumatic injuries that may not be immediately obvious. Seeing the doctor right away not only protects your health but also your ability to receive compensation after the accident.

After initial medical care, many accident victims wonder whether they need a personal injury attorney and if so, when they should contact one. The easiest way to get a specific answer to those questions is to contact a dedicated attorney and ask. But for general information and background knowledge, here are some factors to consider to help you determine whether it would be beneficial to work with a personal injury lawyer. If a family member suffered injuries that are so serious they led to death or the injuries prevent your loved one from handling their own affairs, then you can contact an attorney on their behalf to discuss a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death claim.

If You’ve Been Offered a Settlement, That’s an Automatic Sign That You Need to Talk to an Attorney

When an insurance company offers you money and tells you that you don’t need a lawyer, that is a sign that you need legal advice as soon as possible. Insurance companies do not offer to pay settlements because they are caring and generous. They offer settlements when they know they are likely to lose a lawsuit, and they’re trying to minimize the amount they need to pay for injuries.

The initial offer that they make will be very low. They are hoping you will accept before you have the opportunity to find out what your claim is truly worth.

It is true that if you accept an offer on your own without a lawyer, you won’t have to pay legal fees. However, even with legal fees, an experienced personal injury lawyer can usually obtain far more than the insurance company is willing to offer upfront. At the very least, you should schedule a free consultation with an attorney so that you can make an informed decision about whether to accept a settlement offer.

Consider the Injuries

Personal injury lawyers help accident victims recover when they’ve been injured in a way that impacts them significantly. This might mean an injury that prevents you from working. If you’re hurt on the job, for example, and your injuries keep you from working for a week or more, a personal injury attorney may be able to help you file a workers’ compensation claim to receive medical care and wage benefits.

When injuries are minor and expected to fully heal, a personal injury lawyer usually will not be able to provide assistance. Our legal system is designed to adjudicate fault when considerable financial resources are at stake. Courts do not want to be tied up with smaller matters, so attorneys generally work for accident victims who have significant medical bills from surgery or conditions that cause long-term disabilities that interfere with their ability to work or enjoy aspects of life for a considerable period of time.

There is no specific limit that determines whether or not a case is appropriate for legal action, so it never hurts to ask an attorney if you’re not sure if your injuries are serious enough.

Someone Else is at Least Partially to Blame for the Injuries

If the accident victim is the only person responsible for the injuries, there usually isn’t a way for a personal injury attorney to assist with recovering compensation, unless the accident occurred at work. When injuries occur at work, they are usually covered by the workers’ compensation system, and it doesn’t matter who caused them. But in other situations, the civil liability system allocates financial liability when someone’s irresponsible actions cause harm to others.

So, if you were hurt because you tripped and fell on a rug that you made and that you laid out in your own home, it is likely that your injuries were caused by your own actions, and there is no way to obtain compensation for your medical bills or pain. However, if you tripped because the rug was defectively made by someone else, or you were hurt on someone else’s property where the rug was laid down in a dangerous way, then an attorney might be able to obtain compensation from the person or company whose actions caused you to fall.  

California follows a comparative negligence doctrine that allows accident victims to recover compensation when injuries are partially their own fault and partially caused by someone else. Even if the other person’s fault is minimal, the injured person can still recover damages, though the amount recovered will be reduced to reflect their own share of responsibility.

When You’re Not Sure Whether You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer, Just Ask

We can’t speak for other personal injury lawyers, but at the Law Offices of Benjamin Arsenian, we want to help whenever we can. Benjamin Arsenian formed his own firm so he could provide personalized service and not process clients’ claims as if they were on an assembly line. So, if you’ve been injured and you think a personal injury attorney may be able to help you recover damages for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, and other consequences, we invite you to contact us so we can talk about your situation. We offer free consultations, so you have nothing to lose. If we’re not able to help, we may be able to point you to other resources that could assist. To talk to us, just call 714-400-2000 or contact us online now.