Do I Need a Lawyer for My Personal Injury Claim?

I Was Injured in an Accident. Do I Really Need a Lawyer or Can I Handle This Myself?

Insurance companies spend a lot of money on advertising to convince us that they are our friend and good neighbor. And it works. A lot of people who are hurt in motor vehicle accidents will first try to work directly with their insurance company without talking with a lawyer. They often do things that damage their case later on.

• They give recorded statements because they believe the insurance company is on their side.
• They admit some degree of fault when there may actually have been other causes of the accident.
• They fail to save evidence from the accident or to take photos at the scene.

It’s not until later — when the insurance company offers them far less than their medical costs, when payment isn’t made, or when claims are outright denied — that they finally give up and turn to a lawyer.

That’s unfortunate. Not only have they suffered months (or years) of frustration, but a lot of opportunities have been missed to prove their case.  A personal injury lawyer is essentially there to do everything in their power to give you the compensation you deserve for enduring an event which takes away from your quality of life.

Is There a Statute of Limitations for a Personal Injury Case?

The answer to that question is yes. It’s very important to know specifically in an auto accident that you have four years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party and anybody else that might be responsible for your injuries. That doesn’t mean that you should wait four years before contacting an personal injury attorney. The work really gets going immediately upon hiring an attorney shortly after your accident. If you fail to file a lawsuit within the four years statute of limitations, you’ll be forever barred from bringing a claim, regardless of how serious your accident was or how serious your injuries were. When you get into an accident, the first thing to make sure of is that you get treated appropriately by medical providers.

When you are involved in an auto accident, your first step is to make sure that you’re treated and get proper medical care. Your next step should be to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. At no time should you be speaking with an insurance company prior to talking to your lawyer. The reason that you don’t want to speak to an insurance company is because often the insurance company will want to take a recorded statement of you. They will want to ask you questions and they’ll want to lock you into a story. Often when people get injured in auto accidents, they don’t know the full extent of their injuries. When you get into an auto accident, the complaints and the medical problems that you have on that day may not be the same as those that you’ll have a week from then, two weeks from then, or even a year from then.

What to Expect from Your Lawyer

When you work with The Umansky Law Firm you can have peace of mind your case is being handled properly, thoroughly, and professionally. We:

• File all paperwork and handle all reporting to the insurance company
• Help you access needed medical services so you get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan
• Ensure your future medical needs are known so that the cost of these future services can figure into your final settlement
• Negotiate with health care providers to delay payment on bills until your case is settled
• Work with investigators to gather evidence and interview witnesses in order to prove fault and prepare evidence for negotiations or for trial
• Work with you to document the full scope of your financial losses including medical expenses, lost wages and additional expenses.
• Present the evidence to the insurance company during negotiations or, if the insurance company refuses to make a reasonable settlement offer, take your case to a judge or jury.

Contact an Orlando Personal Injury Attorney

Contact the personal injury attorneys at The Umansky Law Firm for a free initial consultation. We can help you understand your rights under Florida personal injury law. We are here to answer your questions and provide aggressive legal representation.