Personal Injury Attorney

When to Hire Personal Injury Attorney

Written by Scott J. Mowery

This article is about when you should consider when to hire personal injury attorney. We will go through some of the basics of hiring an attorney and talk about when it is recommended to do so in some common situations. But first, let’s go over what personal injury is.

What Is Personal Injury?

Personal injury is any sort of harm that is done to a person. This can range from minor issues like cuts and scrapes to major issues like permanent disabilities. These are not things that damage your property, nor criminal acts. Personal injury is a civil wrong that must involve one or more persons in order for the cause of action to exist. Whether or not it can be pursued in civil court depends on the state you live in, but let’s assume that it does.

There are two types of personal injury that would be more appropriate to discuss in this article; bodily injury and property damage. In addition to being covered by the two separate types of personal injury, there is also a third type in which the harm is to the person’s mental well-being (emotional injuries).

Personal Injury Attorney

Bodily Injury (Injurying Your Body)

Bodily injury is any physical harm done to your body. These types of personal injury claims are often covered in the event that you received a cut, burn, or bruise that lead to ongoing medical issues later on. However, it can also be claimed for permanent injuries and death depending on the circumstances. As an example, if you have someone who was injured in a car accident and is now paralyzed from the waist down. In this example, we would say that they have suffered bodily injury because their body has been damaged (broken back) and they may suffer from pain for years to come. This can include death, but also covers emotional suffering if applicable.

Property Damage (Damaging Someone Else’s Property)

If someone damages your property, they have also harmed you in doing so. This is another type of personal injury claim that can be filed against a person who has caused damage to a person’s property. As an example, if someone rear-ended you and caused extensive damage to your car, then they have damaged property as well as possibly hurting someone (bodily injury).

Should You Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?

In most cases, hiring a personal injury attorney is recommended. If you have suffered bodily injury, then it is almost always recommended that you hire an attorney. The reason for this is because the person who injured you could be held responsible for a percentage of your medical bills and other expenses that may arise in the future. For property damage, we recommend hiring an attorney in almost all situations as well. An attorney will ensure that you get the money needed to cover the damages.

But What If I Can’t Afford a Personal Injury Attorney?

If you are not able to afford a private attorney, then there are free options available. In some states, personal injury attorneys will take personal injury cases on as a “contingency fee”. This means that they will work for you only if they win your case and can receive part of the money that comes from it. In other states, you may be able to file a “pro se” case (you represent yourself in court). If you do not know how to, an attorney can sometimes help walk you through the process.

The last option is to try and handle it yourself. In some cases, this may be successful if you feel that you know enough about the situation to handle it correctly. But please keep in mind that this is done at your own risk and they are not covered by any legal protections or licensing requirements.

Hiring An Attorney

Hiring an attorney is often the right thing to do, but there are some issues that can come up when hiring one.

Do I even need a lawyer?

There are many situations where people will decide not to hire an attorney and go at it themselves. While this may work in some cases, most of the time you will regret not having hired an attorney. Even if you think you know what you are doing, it is worth hiring one and protecting yourself.

What if I do not qualify for a contingency fee?

The good news is that there are many personal injury attorneys who will take your case on a contingency fee. The bad news is that not all of them will. If you find one who does not, then you must decide if the savings of going without an attorney is worth it. Often time it isn’t and you are better off paying a little more to have an attorney fight for you. Remember, your lawyer will be working for you and protecting your interests.

When to Hire Personal Injury Attorney?

If you have been injured and decide not to hire an attorney, you should not make this choice lightly. It is a very important decision that will have long term implications. If you do not think it is important, then think again before making a mistake like this. Hiring an attorney can be expensive, but it is worth it when you have no worries about protecting yourself in the future.

Do You Need to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?

There is no obligation about hiring a personal injury attorney. However, these are experts who received training on laws and regulations. Therefore, having one of these experts at your side will be in favor of you. They can help you to win the case and even help you to increase the award or settlement amount.

About the author

Scott J. Mowery

Friendly social media trailblazer. Hipster-friendly internet expert. Reader.

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