Do I need a lawyer to handle my personal injury case?

Anytime you need a service whether it’s a mechanic, builder, or even a lawyer, you can likely find one who is enthusiastic and willing to do the work, but choosing the wrong one can not only make a problem you face worse, but when it comes to your personal injury case, hiring the wrong lawyer can reduce the amount of compensation you receive and increase your stress level. No matter the size of your case, it usually makes sense to hire a lawyer, but only the right lawyer.
                  Following your accident, you can talk to all your relatives who were in the same situation years ago or even recently and if they aren’t telling you what a bad experience it was and how their lawyer didn’t do anything for them, they are telling you how they got significant amounts despite little or no injury or medical treatment. While every case is unique, if you have the right lawyer, who has experience with all the insurance companies and their attorneys and their tactics and has tried multiple cases to a jury, often losing some of them, that lawyer can be honest about what to expect in terms of results and outline the issues you will face as it relates to your specific case. The right lawyer will meet with you in person the very first time and you won’t feel rushed during this meeting. The lawyer is easily accessible throughout the process. If you cannot talk to your lawyer like you would your best friend, you have the wrong lawyer. His or her attitude and approach to your case should be one that obviously makes it clear he or she has the experience to handle your case, but one that will make you feel as comfortable as possible. You will have questions you want answered at various times and should never be afraid to pick up the phone and talk to you. The right lawyer won’t make you feel they are better than you or you or not worthy of their time or response to even basic questions. You will hear the good and bad about your case instead of just promises many of which the lawyer knows cannot be guaranteed or delivered. In trying times, you want a friend to give you honest advice, not someone who will say what needs to be said to get you to be a client.
                  Because of recent legislative changes, insurance companies have scaled back significantly in how they evaluate and pay claims. The top lawyers have adjusted as well in terms of fees and understand they must be flexible so they can continue to handle even the smaller cases so clients can get quality legal help but also get a result that does not pay everyone fairly but the client or leaves things unexplained often with medical bills still owed after a settlement.  A lawyers willingness and ability to constantly adjust, in addition to his or her experience, will allow them to stay strong for their clients even after the insurance industry and the pro tort reform legislature made it even more difficult to get cases, especially smaller cases, resolved fairly for the client. The right lawyer isn’t turning down cases today, no matter how small, that they would have handled years ago when they were much easier to resolve.  Each individual client must get a certain feel or vibe from the lawyer so they can get their case handled and so that a settlement, no matter how small, was fair while also knowing that when their case cannot be resolved despite the flexibility from everyone, they will have a top trial lawyer ready to take their case to a jury.
                  For most of us who aren’t trained and experienced in the specific field, it is not smart to be your own mechanic or builder etc. It’s no different when it comes to deciding on whether or not to hire a lawyer. The trained insurance adjuster is doing all he or she can to minimize their payout no matter the size of the case so you need the right lawyer on your side to get you through the process without creating added pressure on you because they put their fee before the result. Insurance companies save the most money over time on low payouts for smaller claims which are what most people involved in accidents face. Ask your potential lawyer the tough questions about expectations, fees, and experience when choosing who represents you. Ask yourself can you talk to this lawyer openly and get honest responses. Will this lawyer be flexible with their fee after the contract is signed? Will they take your case to trial when most other lawyers wouldn’t?  Once those answers are given to your satisfaction, hire that lawyer to fight the insurance company and don’t look back while working with your lawyer to obtain the best possible result. In the end, while it’s rare that you feel what you went through was worth it no matter the result, the right lawyer will make you feel that it was worth it to hire him or her.  
To discuss these questions, as well as many others, and learn how a quality lawyer will handle your case from beginning to end, call Tanner and Romary, PA and let us put our experience and approach to work for you.

Jeremy Tanner