Do You Need an Attorney to Settle Your Accident Case?

You do not need an attorney to settle every small claim. Usually small claims involve little to no damage to the vehicle and the treatment for the injury lasts as little as a few weeks. In these types of cases, the medical bills are usually less than two thousand dollars and the injuries will not be permanent.

In smaller cases, it may be more cost effective for you to settle your own case; otherwise, part of what your attorney recovers will be used to pay an attorney's fee.

However, in consenting to a settlement offer from the insurance company you are assuming that the degree of your injuries has been fully determined. When you accept a settlement offer from the insurance company, you will be required to sign a release. This release is to permanently prevent any future payment even if your medical condition deteriorates or the injuries were worse than you previously thought. Therefore, you should be absolutely certain you will not require future medical care.

Remember, insurance companies are usually large, multi-million dollar corporations whose goal is to make a profit. That means they maximize profits by minimizing pay outs to the injured victim. Studies show that an insurance company will invariably try and pay you less than your injury deserves.

Opposing insurance adjusters will frequently ask if you have a lawyer yet. If you are not represented by an attorney, the adjuster will probably say: "That is good news. Because retaining a lawyer does not increase the value of your case. In fact, a lawyer will take one-third of your settlement, plus costs. I am so relieved a lawyer is not involved and you and I can work this out together." Research conducted by the insurance industry shows that the insurance industry saves money when the injured victim is not represented by a lawyer. The less informed you are, the better they like it.

In reality the insurance companies hate it when you retain a lawyer to protect your rights, because the adjusters at the insurance company know they will have to deal with someone who has knowledge of the personal injury system, They know the lawyer will not let the insurance company take advantage of the client. Consulting a lawyer early in the process can help you avoid many of the pitfalls.