Hiring a South Florida Personal Injury Attorney

As far as the legal field is concerned, personal injuries can generally be lumped into one of these basic categories: slips and falls, auto accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home care failure, and wrongful death. In almost any personal injury legal situation, the party responsible for your injury is represented by an insurance company, and all of the legal resources they can bring to bear upon the problem in order to stick to their bottom line, to pay out as little as possible. Not all situations call for a personal injury lawyer, but knowing when to hire one can be a pivotal factor in whether or not you get due compensation for your injury. Knowledge is power, and South Florida personal injury attorneys want to put the power where it belongs- in your hands- so let’s look at some of the situations in which you should hire an accident attorney.

Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer If:

As a result of another party’s negligence, you have sustained injuries that...

* result in expensive medical bills or recovery costs directly related to your injury, such as special childcare or caretaker, or housekeeping services needed.

* require surgery or physical therapy.

* result in some permanent impairment, or render you unable to handle normal activities such as walking, dressing, eating, and so on.

* result in a head or brain trauma.

* aggravate a prior injury or medical condition.

* result in a great deal of missed work and lost wages.

* The responsible party’s insurance company is delaying the process, denying liability, or offering what you feel to be an unfair settlement.

* You are uncomfortable with dealing with the responsible party’s insurance company and their associated agents, or feel that you are helpless to affect the situation or protect your own interests.

Any of the above scenarios represent good times to contact a South Florida personal injury attorney and get the professional help you need to successfully negotiate your personal injury settlement. In any situation, it’s a good rule of thumb to never talk to or accept and sign any offers from the other party’s insurance company until after your injuries have been completely and professionally evaluated, and if you think you’ll be seeking it, until after you’ve secured legal counsel.

The Cost of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney- Or Not

In general, South Florida injury attorneys will work on a contingency basis- this means that they don’t get paid unless you do. Once you do receive your personal injury settlement, you can expect to give up about 25-33% of your settlement for cases settled out of court, or about 33-40% for cases which go to court. Some lawyers offer flat percentages regardless of case or settlement type, so shopping around is a good idea.

Many insurance companies try to settle claims as quickly as possible- a trick which allows them to rush you into uninformed decisions that may not be in your best interest, and keep you from going out and getting professional legal advice or assistance. They use complex legal terms and pressure tactics to get you to agree to a settlement that is ultimately in their favor, rather than yours. If you’ve been injured by negligence, or are involved with an injury dispute, hire a South Florida injury lawyer to help you get the consideration- and compensation- you deserve.


For more information about South Florida auto accident lawyer or South Florida personal injury attorney please visit http://www.bellattorneys.com.