For many people, hiring lawyers for personal injuries is a relatively new territory. You may not know the steps of getting an attorney and whether you need one.
There are also many myths surrounding personal injury claims and lawyers. Knowing more about them will help you avoid making mistakes due to lack of knowledge.
So let’s look at the top seven myths about lawyers for personal injuries.
1. The Insurance Company Does Not Change Their Offer So Hiring Lawyers For Personal Injuries Is Useless
An insurance adjuster may tell you the compensation they’re offering is the maximum amount you can obtain. However, that is not true.
Typically, the first offer is the lowest compensation you can get for a personal injury claim. The company mainly offers the lowest amount to minimize their payout.
Hiring an expert attorney will go a long way in achieving the best compensation value. Lawyers for personal injuries investigate your case and injuries to calculate your claim value accurately.
This means you can know the worth of your case better by choosing an attorney.
The main aim of an insurance adjuster is to convince you to accept their offer before you get a chance to talk to an attorney. This prevents you from knowing your accurate injury compensation value.
2. Lawyers For Personal Injuries Don’t Handle Minor Cases
You may hear that minor cases don’t require lawyers for personal injuries, but that is not true. Some wounds may be minor at the time, but they can cause long-term hospital visits.
For example, you may get infrequent headaches due to the injury. Some people consider them to be minor, but the long-term medical bills may say otherwise.
This is why you should seek compensation for every personal injury regardless of its extent. A personal injury attorney can handle your case despite the degree of your injury.
The expert will explain your rights to you and seek medical opinion to understand your future bills better. They also help you file a case to win a specific compensation that will cover your past, present, and future bills.
3. The Insurance Company Is Never Unjust
One of the biggest lies you will hear about personal injury claims is that the insurance company wants your best. The primary purpose of these companies is to ensure your compensation is cost-effective for them.
This is why they may tell you that they believe in you and will take responsibility for your case. However, that is never true. The only thing insurance companies look out for is themselves.
Some companies will minimize the payout by offering you the least amount. Meanwhile, others may reject your claim completely by using bad-faith tactics.
Expert lawyers for personal injuries understand the tactics insurance providers use. So their knowledge and experience will help you avoid mistakes due to lack of information.
4. Lawyers For Personal Injuries Take Too Long For Claims
Lawyers for personal injuries may take a bit more time than the immediate payout an insurance company may offer you. However, accepting a quick payment is not in your best interests.
The payout that insurance companies offer immediately will only be enough to cover your current medical bills. They don’t consider the funds you will have to spend for future hospital visits.
So you will be at a loss if you accept a quick payout, instead of hiring a lawyer. An experienced attorney will take some time to build a foolproof case for you.
They will also help you get compensation that will cover your medical bills, vehicle repair bills, and other damages.
5. The At-Fault Party Has To Pay Compensation Through Their Own Accounts
If you caused an accident, you may be hearing that the at-fault party has to pay out of their pocket to avoid a lawsuit. However, that is a misconception.
Typically, your insurance provider will have to offer a settlement to the injured party. So you will not have to suffer from financial hardships.
The case will also be easier if you take responsibility after knowing the fault was yours. If the case goes to trial, you will bear the legal expenses of hiring an attorney to defend you.
6. You Can File A Personal Injury Lawsuit At Any Time
Some people take immediate action by initiating a case against the at-fault party. Meanwhile, others take years to take action thinking they have all the time in the world.
However, that is a common myth. You can only file a personal injury claim if it legal deadline has not been reached. This is called a statute of limitations.
Every state has a different limit for personal injury cases. If the statute of limitations has passed, you cannot a file lawsuit against the at-fault party.
This is regardless of whether you are still paying medical bills due to the personal injury.
The statute of limitations in Florida for personal injury cases before 23rd March 2023 is four years. Meanwhile, claims after that have a deadline of two years.
7. Lawyers For Personal Injuries Always Take Your Case To Trial
People believe that personal injury claims are mainly settled in courts but that is not the case. Most lawyers will try to ensure you get your rightful compensation without a trial.
This is why they will manage negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance adjuster. After all methods to achieve a payment have been done, but the company still refuses to pay the case is taken to trial.
So your attorney will mainly try to spare you from unnecessary stress of court visits.
Closing Thoughts
These are the top seven myths that most people have about claims and lawyers for personal injuries. Hiring an attorney is always beneficial whether your case is minor or major.
By reading through all the earlier misconceptions, you can make better decisions about your personal injury claim.
If you want to hire an experienced lawyer to secure worthy compensation for you, be sure to contact us. Our attorneys will do their best to maximize your payout while minimizing your burden and legal expenses.
