Do I need a lawyer if I’m injured in an accident?

Yes, if you have a significant injury. Insurance companies do not want you to hire a lawyer. That’s because they know they will have to pay a larger settlement if you are represented by a lawyer. The Insurance Research Council found that the settlement figure was 3 and 1/2 times higher for individuals with lawyers. Statistics prove you benefit.Immediately after being seriously injured in an accident, you are “thrown” into an adversarial legal system. In other words, the insurance company representing the party at fault for the accident has in place a team of adjustors, investigators and attorneys who are working against you seeking to pay as little as possible to settle your claim.Many accident victims, already in distressed physical and financial circumstances, understandably choose to delay the “hassles” involved in selecting and hiring a personal injury attorney. Others having had a “bad experience” with an attorney (i.e. divorce) or simply do not like or trust attorneys on “general principles,” attempt to represent their own legal interests.The bottom line is that considering the legalities and complexities of the established system for compensating accident victims, the retaining of a qualified Personal Injury attorney is a “necessary evil” to “level the playing field” and to ensure that you receive maximum compensation for your injuries.It is possible that your injuries are not serious enough to justify the services of a lawyer. Claims for minor injuries that include little more than an emergency room visit or a couple of visits to a physician are not likely to result in much more than compensation for the medical bills. If you pay the attorney one-third of the settlement, you may actually receive less than if you had handled the claim yourself. But consult an attorney about this. Remember, the consultation is free! So you have nothing to lose by inquiring.