After an injury happens out of negligence or an accident you are left dealing with shock and pain from your injury, potentially not being able to work, and a great deal of medical bills. While going through these hardships, it may be difficult to juggle pursuing a personal injury claim at the same time. You may think you will spend less money by filing a personal injury claim yourself, but in the long run you can find yourself spending more precious time, energy, and money instead of focusing on healing from your injuries.
You Can Harm Your Chances When Working Alone
Personal injury claims are typically more complex with a strict process to follow accompanied by deadlines and lots of paperwork and evidence to get together. Communication, negotiation, and litigation is involved in these cases and most people do not have the expertise or skill level to deal with these processes.
You can minimize the amount of stress you have during this time and maximize your compensation by asking an experienced lawyer for help. A personal injury attorney will help you by:
- Having experience with claims like yours
- Knowledge about the laws and legal processes in your state
- Contact with quality investigators and other lawyers
- Alternative ways in helping reach a resolution
- Qualified representation during your trial
We want to show you the most common mistakes when you represent yourself rather than calling a personal injury attorney to help with your case.
Lack of Experience
Having someone who has worked with cases similar to yours can give you the guidance you need when navigating through a personal injury claim. They have the knowledge of state laws and processes, what kind of evidence you’ll need, and all of the documentation in order to build a strong case. They also will be able to prepare you and give you a reasonable expectation by knowing all the potential hurdles and setbacks that can happen with your claim.
Forms and Documents
Paperwork is a huge part of a personal injury case and missing deadlines or filling out documents incorrectly can be the small mistakes that can be very costly. You may not know what needs to be filled out, where it needs to be mailed, or even the types of documentation you need to get from certain sources. A personal injury attorney will explain and guide you through providing all the documents you need so you don’t have any delays in your financial recovery.
Needing Outside Perspective
Dealing with an injury is an emotional time and overwhelming feelings can have a negative impact on your mental health. Your attorney will be able to offer a different perspective throughout your case that can ease your mind by fully explaining what you should expect and what may not happen in your case.
Having Support Through Your Case
Without support when representing yourself, it is easy to feel lost filing your claim and that you have nowhere to turn. Your personal injury attorney will have access to their colleagues and other support to turn to for advice and to get a second opinion.
Because it is so stressful and tiresome to keep up with deadlines and having to be patient during each step of your case, many people decide to abandon their case altogether. The amount of paperwork, questions asked, evidence needed, it is understandable to want to give up. With an attorney, they will see your claim through from beginning to end. They have a better idea of what the process is like and what is normal for the court to do, helping you understand and feel less lost throughout the process.
Financial Risk When Representing Yourself
A main reason that people will try to DIY their legal matters is to save money, but the financial risk in representing yourself can be a lot greater than just having to face paying attorney fees. Other than the amount of money you can lose by walking away from your claim or accepting a lower settlement, other expenses from things like obtaining reports, postage, court fees, or specialist advice can easily add up.
Having a lawyer protects you from the costly mistakes you can accidentally make and offer you experienced advice for the best outcome possible.
Getting Legal Advice From A Personal Injury Attorney
At Hann Law Firm in San Jose, California, we can help you through your personal injury claim and build you the strongest case to receive compensation for your injuries. We know how difficult it can be going through a stressful time legally, while simultaneously dealing with pain and suffering. We work tirelessly with our skilled attorneys to help you receive the justice you deserve.
Contact us today and find a personal injury lawyer in California to talk about your circumstances and see if we can move your claim forward.
