27 Dec Benefits to Having a Personal Injury Lawyer Represent You
Table Of Contents
- Well-Versed in Personal Injury Law
- Insurance Law
- Injuries’ Approximate Values
- Taking Your Case to Court
- You Come Out Ahead
If you have been injured in a car accident (or as a result of another person’s actions), you have almost certainly been advised to consult a personal injury lawyer. Indeed, in most circumstances, it is to your advantage to retain the services of such a lawyer. The following are five real advantages of hiring a personal injury lawyer:
Well-Versed in Personal Injury Law
This may seem self-evident, but many people believe they are just as knowledgeable as a lawyer (and that a lawyer simply collects the money). This is categorically untrue. Merely being injured does not entitle you to total compensation for your losses. Nowadays, few provinces accept contributory negligence, but this stipulates you are not allowed compensation even if you contributed barely anything toward an automobile accident. Most provinces recognize some type of comparative negligence, which entitles you to seek compensation for your injuries, regardless of your level of involvement in the vehicle accident.
Another aspect of personal injury law is determining which personal injury claims an individual is entitled to. There are, in fact, numerous potential claims, many of which a non-lawyer might overlook. You gain from your lawyer’s knowledge of personal injury law since an insurance adjuster won’t be able to deceive you (or distort the law) in an attempt to convince you that you will not obtain compensation to which you may be legally entitled.
Insurance Law
This may seem insignificant, yet it can have a considerable effect. For instance, an insurance policy may pay a benefit of $20,000 to a person who has been injured. The insurance adjuster informs you that he will pay you the entire $20,000 because your injury claim is valid. However, the insurance adjuster does not tell you that you may be entitled to further compensation under provincial law. For example, several provinces allow for the “stacking” of insurance policies under specific circumstances, which means you may be eligible for greater reimbursement.
A personal injury lawyer will inform you whether provincial laws entitle you to more compensation for your injuries than first appears.
Injuries’ Approximate Values
Experienced attorneys have handled numerous personal injury cases and have a decent sense of the value of most injuries. Additionally, personal injury attorneys understand which circumstances can affect the amount of compensation you are entitled to. Insurance adjusters and opposing lawyers cannot diminish the value of your personal injury claim due to your attorney’s experience.
Taking Your Case to Court
Insurance adjusters are well aware that if a matter proceeds to court, the insurance company may be required to pay more than they desire. Additionally, adjusters are aware that it will be impossible for you to appear in court if you represent yourself. They are aware that, in general, personal injury attorneys increase the value of cases in court. As a result, adjusters must be more realistic in their offers of compensation for personal injuries.
You Come Out Ahead
Again, insurance adjusters will offer you a higher settlement amount when you have a lawyer representing you for all these reasons outlined previously. Some will argue that the cost of hiring a lawyer counters the substantially higher compensation amount. As a result, they claim, you end up with the same amount. This is sometimes true, but in many cases, a personal injury lawyer will win more than enough money for your injury claim (on top of simply compensating for the attorney fee) and therefore they will win you higher than just the same amount.
Make McGuinty Law Offices the first people you seek when you’re injured. Visit us online or call us in Ottawa at (613) 526-3858 for more information today.