When To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer. Accidents and injuries are always unexpected, and it can be hard to know what to do in the aftermath, and how to go about getting compensation for your property damage, medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Burger Law knows how to handle cases and get the best possible compensation for our clients. We have offices in Chicago and St. Louis, and serve the injured throughout Missouri and Illinois. If you were injured because of somebody else's negligence, call a Burger Law personal injury lawyer today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.
In minor accidents where your injuries only required a quick trip to the emergency room and don't have any lasting effects, you may be able to get a fair settlement offer without the help of an attorney. But often, you will need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer to get the full financial recovery you deserve. Talking to our personal injury lawyers is free, so it's you should always speak to an attorney first before accepting any settlement offer.
Typically, there are four reasons you should get a personal injury lawyer after you were injured:
You Sustained Significant Injuries or Injuries That Require Ongoing Care.
If your injuries require assistive devices like crutches, will involve ongoing physical therapy and treatments or impact your ability to work and make a living in the future, you need to hire a personal injury lawyer so the full scope of your damages is paid for.
The personal injury lawyers at Burger Law also have extensive medical knowledge and have connections with great doctors. A 2014 study by the Insurance Research Institute found that people who hire personal injury lawyers are more likely to get the full medical treatment they need. Getting the right medical treatment will also increase the value of your case.
The Insurance Company Isn't Being Fair
While insurance companies are obligated to pay you for their client's negligence, their real interest is in paying you as little money as possible. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and often have shareholders who will be upset if they pay out a lot of claims. Insurance adjusters are professionals when it comes to minimizing or denying claims.
Some of the tricks insurance companies use to devalue claims are:
- Stalling
- Trying to get you to settle quickly, before you realize the full extent of your injuries
- Offering false sympathy
- Trying to shift blame for the accident on you
- Lying to you, for example
- Telling you your medical care was unnecessary
- Saying they don't have to pay for medical care because you have insurance
- Saying they don't have to pay for lost wages because you had unused vacation time
- Telling you a lawyer will cost more money than they are worth
Insurance companies are far less likely to deny claims when people hire an attorney. They know they can take advantage of a lot of people, but an experienced personal injury lawyer will let them know you're serious about getting a full financial recovery. They'll be more likely to give you what they deserve in the hopes of avoiding a lawsuit.
There is Disagreement About Who Is At Fault
Some people who act negligently do not want to take responsibility for their actions. After all, if they admit they were at fault in a car accident, their insurance premium will rise. If the other party is disputing fault, a personal injury lawyer will investigate all the facts and take official depositions to prove negligence. Burger Law knows how to hold negligent parties accountable.
There Are Other Complications to the Case
Not every personal injury case is cut and dry. Sometimes, multiple people can be at fault, for example if a bar knowingly overserves a drunk driver, you may be able to make a claim against the drunk driver and the bar. In multi-vehicle accidents, it can be difficult to determine which driver is at fault.
Other complications can be disputed facts, if you were hit by a commercial or public vehicle, you were injured in a hit and run or there are issues with insurance coverage. At Burger Law, our personal injury attorneys have over 70 years of combined experience dealing precisely with these kinds of issues and always getting the best possible results for our Missouri and Illinois clients.
Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
Many people are nervous about hiring an attorney because they think it will be too expensive. The great thing about our personal injury lawyers is that we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we take a percentage of the compensation you receive as payment. That means there are no upfront fees, and you don't owe us anything until we win your case.
We offer consultations and preliminary investigations for free. If you've been injured because someone else was reckless of negligent, call a Burger Law personal injury lawyer now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online.