You were injured in an accident. Someone else was at fault, and this means that you are entitled to financial compensation. But, in order to recover the financial compensation you deserve, you need to be able to convince the insurance company to settle (or convince the jury to award a judgment), and you need to be able to quantify the damages you have suffered.
In order to prove that you are entitled to financial compensation and accurately calculate your losses, you need an experienced attorney. These are complex legal issues, and insurance companies have teams of people who get paid to fight accident victims’ claims. There are several factors to consider when choosing an attorney, but by far the single most important factor is the attorney’s prior experience in personal injury cases.
7 Reasons to Choose an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
It is easy to look at a lawyer’s record of results in personal injury claims to get a sense of the attorney’s experience in cases like yours. However, verdicts and settlements don’t tell the entire story. It is also important to take into account the lawyer’s experience with personal injury claims generally, and experience handling claims like yours in particular.
For prospective clients, experience in personal injury claims is key for a variety of reasons:
1. Filing a Successful Personal Injury Claim Is Not Easy
From collecting the necessary evidence to examining the relevant legal issues and developing a compelling case for fair compensation, there are numerous steps involved in successfully pursuing a personal injury claim. An experienced personal injury attorney will be intimately familiar with these steps, and he or she will be able to efficiently work toward securing just compensation on your behalf.
2. The Insurance Companies Are Not on Your Side
Insurance adjusters do not work for you. When you file a claim, the insurance adjuster has the insurance company’s best interests in mind, not yours.
If you try to handle your claim on your own, you are likely not going to receive the financial compensation you deserve. Hiring an experienced lawyer, however, will help level the playing field.
3. Proving Fault Requires More Than an On-Scene Investigation
Numerous factors can result in an accident or injury. As a result, determining who is at fault requires a comprehensive investigation that goes far beyond collecting evidence at the scene.
In many cases, it will be necessary to take depositions, subpoena records, and secure evidence from various other sources. This process requires a thorough understanding of the laws, court rules, and legal processes that apply.
4. You Need to Accurately Calculate Your Current and Future Losses
As an accident victim, you are entitled to fair compensation for your current and future losses. Determining how much you are entitled to recover, however, is difficult without qualified legal representation.
Experienced attorneys know what steps to take in order to calculate the full extent of your damages. They know what evidence to collect, and they routinely work with experts who can testify to the physical, psychological, and financial impacts of traumatic injuries.
5. You Need an Attorney Who Can Negotiate Effectively for a Fair Settlement
Once all the evidence to support your claim is collected, your attorney then needs to be able to negotiate effectively for a fair settlement. An attorney who has experience dealing with the insurance companies will know how to approach your claim strategically in order to secure maximum compensation on your behalf.
6. You Need an Attorney Who is Prepared to Go to Trial If Necessary
If a fair settlement is not offered, your attorney will need to be prepared to take your case to court. Litigating a personal injury case requires an enormous amount of work, and experience is a major factor in knowing how to efficiently and effectively prepare a case for trial.
7. You Only Get One Opportunity to Assert Your Legal Rights
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you only get one chance to assert your legal rights. If you have been seriously injured, you simply cannot afford to trust your case to inexperienced legal counsel.
You need an attorney who knows what it takes to win, who has won numerous cases before, and who is 100% confident in his or her ability to win the compensation you deserve. This knowledge, skill, and confidence is a result of experience trying and winning personal injury cases.
Discuss Your Case with a Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you have been seriously injured, it is important to understand your legal rights. The attorneys at Ventura Law have extensive experience in a wide variety of personal injury cases.
Please call (203) 800-8000 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Ventura Law serves the tri-state region from office locations in Danbury, Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Hartford, Connecticut, as well as in New York.