Three Reasons Why You Can’t Afford Not to Hire an Accident Attorney

You’ve just been injured in an automobile accident and the truth is, hiring an attorney may be more affordable than you think. It may actually cost you more if you don’t hire one, for the following reasons:

1. Your Case Will Likely Be Handled on a Contingency Basis

Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they will take no fee until your case is settled. A contingency fee arrangement allows you to obtain legal representation without having to pay upfront, but always clarify the fee structure before you retain legal representation. Most accident attorneys also offer free initial consultations, and also advance costs for medical experts and the costs of litigation.

2. You’ll Have More Access to Medical Care

Medical providers typically want some kind of assurance that if you recover money from an insurance company, they will get paid. While unrepresented claimants might conveniently forget to pay their outstanding medical bills, attorneys are bound by ethical rules concerning medical liens, and are required to pay them off on behalf of their clients (or negotiate them down if settlement proceeds are not adequate to completely satisfy them).

3. A Lawyer Has Superior Negotiating Power

An attorney has the ability to put pressure on an insurance company that a claimant simply does not have. This is because the attorney has the power to file suit, requiring the carrier to spend time and money to defend it, or sue the insurance company for bad faith if your claim isn’t handled fairly.

While the idea of retaining legal counsel may sound like an expensive proposition, it is usually to your advantage to get advice from an experienced personal injury attorney before you consider any settlement offer – if you don’t you may actually be leaving money on the table.