A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Receive A Higher Settlement
If you have been in a car accident, been injured on the job or from the negligence of another, then you may be considering hiring an attorney. Google is full of advice about when to hire an attorney, but few sites adequately address the question of why you should hire an attorney. After all, wouldn't it be easier and faster to settle with the insurance company on your own?
The answer is that, though it may be easier and faster to settle on your own, you are more likely to receive a higher payout if you hire an attorney. According to a study by the Insurance Research Council, injury victims who seek the assistance of an experienced Cincinnati injury lawyer obtain an average 4.8 times more money than those who settled on their own.
Insurance is a business. Like all businesses, the insurance company's chief concern is maximizing profits. Adjusters are trained to settle your injury claim for the lowest amount possible. They may even try to dissuade you from hiring an attorney, because they know that if you do so the insurance company will probably have to pay you more money.
Injury victims may have no idea of the true value of their case, and so agree to the low amount offered by the insurance company. An experienced attorney knows if your case is worth more than the insurance company is offering and is trained to negotiate to get you the settlement you deserve.
How Does A Personal Injury Lawyer Increase Your Settlement Size?
Attorneys are trained to handle insurance adjusters. Many injury victims make mistakes when talking to adjusters, who are trained to exploit any opportunity to reduce a settlement amount. For example, adjusters often record conversations in an effort to cast doubt on liability. An injury victim who decided to settle on his or her own may accidentally say something which will negatively impact the amount offered by the adjuster. Attorneys know how to avoid these traps.
Attorneys also can estimate future costs and make sure these are included in the settlement. Once a settlement has been agreed upon, the case is then closed. Sometimes injuries may require further treatment down the road, or impair your ability to earn money in the future. Adjusters may not take these factors into account in their settlement offer. An attorney will make sure that these situations are covered by additional money in your settlement.
Many injury victims worry about the issue of payment for an attorneys services. O'Connor, Acciani & Levy Co., LPA, like many other law firms, works on a contingency basis. That means that your attorney does not receive a fee unless you win a settlement. This provides an excellent incentive to do the best work possible on your case.
Finally, an attorney can offer you some peace of mind. You can concentrate on recovering and becoming well again, while the attorney does all the work on your case. Talking to adjusters, requesting medical records and negotiating settlement amounts can be stressful. You can rest assured knowing that these tasks are in the hands of a trained professional.
The Lawyers Of O'Connor, Acciani & Levy Offer Free Consultations
Take advantage of the tools at your disposal before settling with the insurance company. O'Connor, Acciani & Levy Co., LPA offers free, no obligation consultations for accident and injury victims. If you decide to work with us, then we will vigorously pursue your claim until we have obtained the maximum settlement possible for you.
