In case you’re involved in an accident, the thought of hiring a personal injury attorney has probably come across your mind.
But how do you know whether you need to seek the services of an attorney, and even how are you going to afford one? After all, the decision to hire an attorney is similar to any other life decision.
But you’re not alone-there’re numerous accident victims that normally deal with the same questions daily.
Though there’re studies that show victims who hire attorneys are more than likely to receive higher compensation, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve to match to the nearest law firm for representation.
Before you make any decision regarding legal representation, it’s always a good idea to ask how an attorney will provide you with any real value.
There’re numerous ways in which a personal injury attorney can either make or break your case.
Handle Correspondence
A crucial role of a professional personal injury attorney is handling all the correspondence relating to the insurance companies and any other parties involved and will negotiate with them on your behalf.
At Arash Law Injury Law firm in California, for instance, we have your best interest at the back of our minds and will do everything in our power to ensure that you get a fair settlement, even after paying the attorney’s fee.
Generally speaking, an attorney will ensure that you get higher compensation than you would have otherwise received if you handled the case on your own.
However, in some cases, you’ll realize that the accident was quite serious, and if anything, you were not injured. It’s at such moments that you might feel you don’t necessarily need an attorney and that you can handle the case on your own.Â
In such cases, you’ll also realize that your insurance doesn’t even fight the claim as hard as others, and so, you might not necessarily need a lawyer.
And so, you should always consider whether hiring an attorney is the right choice and whether you’ll be paying an attorney for a task that you can perfectly handle on your own.
In many such situations, individuals with minor damage cases are capable of handling their claims without needing an attorney, and this is particularly true if they have a rudimentary understanding of their legal rights.
That said, how can an accident victim tell which is the best approach for their case? This is where victims are required to assess the true value of quality personal injury.
Assessing the Value of an Attorney
First, you need to assess the intent of the law firm.
For instance, steer away from firms that are after your money and those that don’t accurately assess whether you need an attorney and have already decided they want you as a client.
Ideally, most of the professional firms will first provide an initial consultation, whether over the phone or in-person and will explain what value they might provide you with.
Even though this process is neglected by many of the attorney firms, it’s essential in developing a trusting relationship with their clients.
For instance, if you find a no-pressure attorney that is willing to explain to you what you’re paying for, and what you’ll get from hiring them before signing the contract details, you’re likely to find the attorney is more interested in providing you with value as opposed to increasing their bottom line.
Secondly, during the consultation, your attorney should provide you with straightforward answers without you feeling like you’re getting them run around. Professional attorneys should provide you with clear, honest, and precise answers, and hopefully, they can back up their answers with previous experience.
There’re numerous aspects to consider when selecting an attorney, and you need to tread with caution at this stage.
And at the end of the day, always keep in mind that every decision you make is hiring an attorney will have a significant impact on your life. Whatever you do, you’ll want to feel confident with your attorney.