If you have been in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you may have sustained injuries that affect your quality of life. Often, there is also a considerable amount of distress and anxiety associated with this type of accident.
Using the services of a personal injury attorney is a way of seeking compensation for the injuries that you may have sustained.
But there are some unhelpful stereotypes and myths associated with personal injury attorneys.
In this article, we’ll look at eight of the myths about lawsuits that personal injury attorneys wish you knew about.
1. Personal Injury Attorneys Are Expensive
When it comes to looking for a car injury lawyer or a personal injury attorney, you would be forgiven for assuming that they will be expensive. This may cause you to worry if you do not have the funds to pay for your attorney up-front.
Very often, this assumption leads to people not making a claim when they have strong grounds to do so.
This myth about attorneys being expensive is not true. Many lawyers will actually collect their fees once you have won your case. Your lawyer can even claim their legal fees as part of your compensation settlement.
Before you enter into a case, you should get a lawyer’s advice on how strong your chances of winning are. This will prevent you from ending up with legal bills to pay without the chance of receiving any compensation.
2. Personal Injury Claims Settle Quickly
In some cases, a settlement can indeed be reached quickly. Often this is because the defendant is anxious to get the case closed and is willing to pay for the convenience. In many cases though, this is not going to be true.
Often, when the defendant puts up a fight and often defense attorneys will move at a slower speed on purpose.
You should not expect to make a large sum of money quickly from your claim. Speak with your personal injury attorney and find out how long they think the case will realistically take to settle.
3. There Is No Rush To File a Claim
Personal injury claims are subject to a time limit. This is because there is a statute of limitations that will vary from state-to-state. Generally, this is around two-to-three years.
There are many cases, however, where the person who has suffered the injury won’t actually know the true extent of their injuries until months or even years after the accident.
4. Personal Injury Lawsuits Are Easy Money
Although you may feel as though you have an “open and shut” case on your hands, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the judge or jury will agree. You will need to overcome the burden of proof for your case.
A reputable attorney will be straight with you about the chances of winning your case. This will allow you to go into your case with a realistic idea about what is actually possible.
Many lawyers won’t actually take the case unless they believe they have a chance of winning, so having an attorney in your corner is a sign that you have the potential to win.
5. You’re Guaranteed To Win if the Other Party Was at Fault
There are no guarantees that you will win your case, even if the other party was at fault. There may be other mitigating factors that their lawyer brings up. These factors could minimize the award or nullify it.
A reputable attorney won’t make any guarantees that they will win your case for you. Instead, they will be upfront with you about your realistic chances of winning, and with the progress that they are making on your case.
6. The At-Fault Driver Must Pay for Everything In a Car Accident
In certain circumstances, the driver who is found to be at fault following an accident may be required to cover all of the medical expenses and repairs as part of an insurance claim or settlement.
The way that personal injury cases are handled will differ from state-to-state though. Many states use something called “contributory negligence.” This is where the percentage of the amount awarded to you depends on the percentage of your fault in the accident.
Say for example that you were due to get $100,000 as your settlement, if you were 40% responsible for the accident, you will only get $60,000.
Many states don’t make injured parties prove that they didn’t bring about their own accidents. The injured party just needs to prove that someone else was negligent in causing the accident.
7. Your Insurance Company Only Has Your Best Interests at Heart
While it may seem apparent that your insurance company has your best interests at heart, this may not be the whole story.
Typically, insurance companies often put profits over customer well-being. Your insurance company may try to do whatever they can to avoid paying up.
To avoid making payments, insurers might record your calls or ask you questions to try to trip you up. Insurance companies may even use lawyers to stop any settlement that you are due.
Before you give any information to your insurance company speak with your car accident attorneys first.
8. To Win Your Case You Need an Aggressive Personal Injury Attorney
Very often, in attorney advertising, the sentiment that you need an aggressive personal injury lawyer to win a personal injury lawsuit settlement is expressed. However, this is an unhelpful myth.
Where a lawyer is overly aggressive, they will attack without a proper plan. This type of approach rarely wins a personal injury claim.
Regardless of the size of your case, you will need an attorney with strategy and finesse who has a proper, well-thought-out plan.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney Today
Now that you know the truth behind the myths about personal injury attorneys, you will be well informed enough to decide to get in touch with one with your personal injury claim needs today.
Car Accident Lawyer offers a free consultation so that you can find out whether you have a good chance of winning your case from the start. Get in touch today to arrange an appointment.