You do not need an attorney to settle a small personal injury case. In fact, you might end up with a net smaller settlement after the attorney subtracts his fee in smaller cases. On the other hand if you sustain serious injuries due to someone’s negligence or if you miss a significant amount of work because of your injuries, statistics show that you probably do better financially by hiring an experienced personal injury attorney.
Before you decide whether to hire an attorney, consider the following.
In 2004, the Insurance Research Council, a research organization created and funded by the insurance industry, did a comprehensive study comparing the value of settlements people received for the same injury when they were represented by an attorney compared to when they did not have lawyers. The Insurance Research Council determined that people who were represented by an attorney received almost three and one-half times more, even after the attorney’s fees were paid.
It was revealed that the 1995 training manual for the claim adjustors of one of the nation’s largest insurance companies stressed the importance of convincing claimants to represent themselves and not retain an attorney.
Again, it is important to remember that the insurance company’s own research shows that people who have hired an attorney to represent them receive more money than those who do not have an attorney. Do you think the insurance adjuster will share this information with you?
Most personal injury attorneys will provide you with a free initial consultation after which you can decide for your self whether you should hire an attorney for your injury case.