Have you been injured in an accident that was not your fault? You are not alone. Every day thousands of Floridians suffer minor and even major injuries due to other people’s carelessness or recklessness. Whether it is a car accident, a slip-and-fall injury, or a serious mistake made by a doctor, if someone else caused you harm, you do not simply have to accept the consequences. Personal injury lawsuits exist to help repair you financially after you have been injured by another party’s negligence. While you do not need a lawyer to bring a personal injury lawsuit, it can be a complex process to file and defend your own claim. In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of retaining a lawyer for your personal injury claim, as well as situations where you would not want to go without qualified legal assistance. The information in this article is intended to be general, but if you would like specific information and feedback about your own case, you are welcome to contact the experienced Florida personal injury attorneys at HAWM Law to schedule a consultation.

Pros and Cons of Hiring an Attorney

When it comes to retaining legal help for an accident, most people’s biggest concern is the cost. However, what most people do not realize is that most attorneys offer free or low-cost consultations, and do not charge anything up front, instead taking a portion of your settlement if you win. This can make legal help very accessible. It may seem counterintuitive, but the more serious your injuries, the easier it will be to find legal help. The amount that you would save by not hiring a lawyer is generally outweighed by the added compensation an attorney is able to help you obtain. The biggest benefit to hiring a lawyer is that you cannot know what you do not know. Unless you have done extensive research on insurance settlements and have some legal background, it will be hard for you to calculate your damages with specificity or assess whether a settlement offer is actually adequate and fair. A $30,000 settlement offer might sound great until you realize it does not include compensation for pain and suffering or anticipated future medical expenses. But how would you have known you were entitled to those? These are the kind of things a lawyer knows to fight for.