When Should You Hire a Lawyer?
May 11, 2018 | Personal Injury
Suffering a life-changing injury or losing a family member can be unfair and expensive. It’s also a good time to lawyer up.
The St. Louis-based personal injury lawyers at the Dixon Injury Firm know how difficult it can be for victims and their families seeking reimbursement and justice.
It’s Time to Hire a Lawyer When…
When is it time to lawyer up? Below, you’ll find a few of the most common reasons people hire personal injury and other legal specialists like the Dixon Injury Firm. As always, you can call us at (314) 208-2808 for a (free) case review and consultation.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
If you’ve been injured at work, were involved in a car accident, or are having trouble claiming a fair settlement from an insurance company, it’s time to hire an attorney. Fortunately, most civil lawyers use what’s known as a contingency payment plan. This is when a firm only charges if they win the case. Typically, they charge between 20 and 30 percent of your reward. This may seem high, but when you consider the thousands of dollars you win to cover medical costs, changes in living conditions, lost time at work, and other financial factors, a seasoned personal injury lawyer can change your life.
5 Reasons to Call a St. Louis Injury Lawyer
Here are 5 reasons to contact a personal injury lawyer near you.
- Law isn’t easy. Without legal counsel, any case or claim you may be contesting can quickly fall to pieces. One of the major pitfalls behind this is that most victims are under emotional duress due to medical injuries, bills piling up, and other stressors. A lawyer can help you avoid snags down the line.
- It can be expensive not to hire a lawyer. Why? A criminal and even a civil case will cost you nothing if you don’t start one. But, then again, this means you have nothing to gain. If you’re in a car accident, were hurt on the job, or fell victim to a premise liability case, a personal injury lawyer can help you recover funds. Just as importantly, most civil lawyers only take a small percentage of the reward if they win the case.
- If you don’t have one, the other guy will. If you’re going against a major insurance company, you’ll be going against hundreds of thousands of dollars and decades of legal experience on your own. You’ll need legal representation on your side if you want a chance at all at striking a settlement deal.
- Hiring a lawyer doesn’t have to cost a dime. Most lawyers work on contingency. As mentioned, this means they only charge a percentage of the settlement. This allows struggling victims to pay for legal counsel under serious financial pressure.
- Information gathering is difficult. If and when you’re disputing a claim or case, an important step in gathering information. This includes witness testimonies, accident reports, pictures, bills, expenses, testimonies, and other documents an injury lawyer can help gather and submit as evidence. Also, a lawyer knows when and how to file court documents, submit letters of intent, and open claims, giving you the client the freedom to recover.
Finding a lawyer is just the first step in the process. Like Chris Dixon, some firms offer free case consultations and reviews. They can give you advice on how to begin the claims process and how to win a case.
Personal Injury Lawyers
40 million people incur serious injuries every year. This includes slipping and falling, dog bites, bicycle wrecks, car accidents, and premise liability injuries. It’s important to get legal representation as soon as possible to secure a better chance at winning a case. For example, in a motorcycle accident, information can be lost or tire marks washed away leading to a lack of evidence. Calling a lawyer right away (especially if you’re in a state of financial and/or physical duress) is a surefire way to move forward on an injury claim.
At the Dixon Injury Firm, we focus on car accidents, animal bites, worker’s compensation, and other personal injury cases in St. Louis and Illinois. You can call us at (314) 208-2808 today for more information.