Someone that has been injured as the result of an accident might not need a lawyer, if he or she has sustained only minor injuries, has suffered only a minor amount of property damage, and feels confident about advocating on behalf of his or her own case.
What victim should appreciate, before choosing to dispense with a lawyer?
Victim should understand who was liable. If the insurance company has alleged shared-fault, then the victim might need to reconsider any plans to move forward without first consulting an attorney.
Victims that understand the serious nature of their injury do a better job of handling a case, in the absence of a lawyer. By the same token, victims could take a risk by assuming a freedom from any injury, and then deciding that reimbursement for damaged property could be obtained without a lawyer’s assistance.
An injured victim’s readiness to negotiate with an adjuster should get considered, before any decision about the hiring or dispensing with an attorney. Would the injured victim be able to explain the nature of his or her injury? Could that same victim paint a clear picture of the way that the same injury has had a impact on his or her life?
Benefits to dispensing with a lawyer’s help
The biggest benefit relates to the lawyer’s fee. A victim that has not chosen to seek a lawyer’s help does not have to pay that fee. That argument makes sense, when a victim’s injuries are known to be relatively minor in nature.
That argument does not make much sense, in cases where victims’ injuries have been severe. In such cases, an attorney’s skills and experience might allow for delivery of a large pay-out from the insurance company, or receipt of a court-ordered judgment by the injured plaintiff. Cases get finished faster, when no lawyer has entered the picture. That is another argument that makes sense when the potential client has only minor injuries. Personal Injury Lawyer in St Thomas protect clients with slow-appearing symptoms.
An attorney’s warning should keep a client from signing a release before maximum medical improvement. Only then should a doctor be able to rule out the chances for further symptoms. Victims that settle before hearing such a warning must sign a release form.
Their signature on the form frees the insurance company from responsibility for any further symptoms or complications. Suppose that some complication did arise. That would force the victim and the victim’s family to devote time to dealing with that unanticipated problem. The insurance company would not cover the medical costs. By the same token, the time saved by going without an attorney’s help would vanish, as patient and family tried to deal with the new medical problem.