Suffering a personal injury can be devastating. It can result in permanent disability, months or years of medical treatment, and dashed career expectations. People suffer personal injuries due to the negligence of others every day, but, when it comes to paying medical bills and dealing with their injuries, support is often sparse. To remedy this, the personal injury industry has grown to ensure that people who are injured are given their due. So, the question often is, when do you need to hire an attorney?
When not to hire a personal injury attorney
It is important to have a case that you can win, and there are cases where a personal injury attorney cannot help you. If an event has occurred that only damages property, then you should not hire a personal injury attorney. A scenario like this is easy to imagine: What happens when a truck is left on a hill with a loose gear shift? So, even if your personal or business property is damaged due to another’s negligence, there is nothing that a personal injury attorney can do for you, though it may still be judiciable. Additionally, if you end up in an accident and nobody is injured, it might not be worth it to hire a personal injury attorney. Remember, though, what you discount as a harmless injury may turn out to be a major issue down the line. For this reason, if you were in an accident, you should seek medical attention to matter what. If a doctor clears you of risks, you do not need to hire an attorney. But if not, you may want to consult a lawyer.
The typical personal injury case
The American Bar Association has a great introduction to personal injury cases involving negligence. Using automobile accidents as an example, the ABA explains it as follows: “You have a negligence claim… if you are injured by a driver who failed to exercise reasonable care, because drivers have a duty to exercise reasonable care anytime they are on the road. When they breach that duty and your injury results, personal injury law says you can recoup your losses.” Aside from negligence, there are other instances where a personal injury lawyer can help you, such as strict liability — when a designer or manufacturer is liable for injuries caused by defective products — or intentional wrongs — if you are injured in an attack or similar crime. In the case of intentional wrongs, the personal injury lawsuit will continue in civil court while the other charges play out in criminal court. However, that formula is important: The other person failed to exercise reasonable care, breached their duty, and injuries resulted. This formula for personal injury covers everything from car accidents to dog attacks to medical malpractice.
What a personal injury attorney does for you
If you have been injured and are able to prove that the injury was the result of another person failing to exercise reasonable care, the next step is often filing a claim with an insurance company. However, the insurance company is not your friend. They are motivated to preserve their profits and give you the smallest settlement possible. Additionally, claiming medical expenses with an insurance company is often mind-bogglingly difficult, especially if you are in recovery from an accident. You want somebody on your side, and, ideally, you want somebody who is a lawyer. If the case is good, then you are entitled to a certain amount of compensation. As the personal injury attorneys at Preszler Law Nova Scotia put it, “These entitlements could be in the form of payments covering costs of associated medical treatments, lost income, and even money damages for pain and suffering and other economic losses.” A personal injury lawyer can help you win you the most compensation possible.