After an accident involving an injury, you may wonder how you’re supposed to know when to hire a personal injury attorney to handle your personal injury claim. If you have been involved in any accident that results in physical injury, your next step is expected to be to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for your damages.
Often, the claims process can turn into a battle with an insurance provider or attorneys on the opposite side. If the opposing party makes the decision to underestimate your claim, or worse, deny it entirely, then you may want to consider hiring Houston personal injury lawyer.
However, your decision to contract a personal injury must be informed by the answers to the following questions.
How serious is your injury?
Not all injuries will require you to hire a personal injury attorney. For example, if your injury is relatively minor and you can continue working or have time to take care of handling your personal injury claim on your own, you may be able to manage your individual claim.
However, if your injury is not severe or mild or you will need surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, rehabilitation, you definitely want to speak to an experienced injury attorney to get an assessment of your claim.
Are you injured due to another person’s negligence?
Second, ask yourself if your injury was caused by another individual’s act of negligence. If so, do they deny responsibility for your injury? If that’s your situation, it’s crucial that you speak to a personal injury attorney because they can help you demonstrate that the opposing side is legally responsible for your injury.
Proving legal fault implies applying specific standards to the evidence. To prove liability in a personal injury case, a victim must prove that the guilty individual acted negligently. Neglect is any behavior that falls below a reasonable person’s standard of expected care and causes harm to another person.
A negligence claim requires the injured party to prove four elements. The plaintiff must first demonstrate that the defendant owed a duty or obligation, recognized by law, which requires the defendant to conform to a certain standard of conduct, for the protection of others against unreasonable risks.
To strengthen your claim, it is essential to consult an attorney as soon as possible so that the attorney can begin the important work of collecting and preserving the vital evidence necessary to demonstrate legal fault. The plaintiff must establish that the defendant did not fulfill that duty.
Third, there must be a reasonably close causal connection between the non-conforming conduct and the plaintiff’s resulting injury.
Fourth, the plaintiff must demonstrate actual harm. To strengthen your claim, it is essential to consult an attorney as soon as possible so that the attorney can begin the important work of collecting and preserving the vital evidence necessary to demonstrate legal fault. The plaintiff must establish that the defendant did not fulfill that duty.
A lawyer can handle your claim process
Third, you should ask yourself: Has a representative from the opposite side. I sincerely tried to contact you and resolve your claim? Insurance companies hire insurance claim adjusters and claims representatives to communicate with injured claimants to resolve their claims.
If an insurance adjuster contacts you and asks you to make a recorded statement for your file or request that you provide information such as medical records or medical bills or your theory of liability regarding your policyholders, it is probably a good idea to speak to an attorney and ask them to handle the claims process.
Unfortunately, insurance claim representatives will often try to get you to make statements that are harmful to your claim, and that may result in a low settlement offer.
If you or a loved one is involved in a car accident in Houston, talk to a Houston personal injury lawyer about your future options. There is no substitute for excellent legal advice after being involved in any accident.
The Zehl & Associates attorneys would love the opportunity to explain the law and help you file a substantial claim on your behalf. Please reach out so we can explain more about the many ways our law firm can offer legal help and guidance after an accident.
