Law
4 Instances Where You Definitely Need a Lawyer for Your Personal Injury Case
The world of personal injury law is vast and diverse. Dig deeper, and you’ll find that almost all civil cases fall under personal injury law. In such situations, it is easy for the average citizen to be confused, especially when they suffer due to someone’s negligence.
Situations like this ask for legal expertise, something personal injury attorneys are pretty good at. An attorney will do everything required to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Some personal injury cases are open-and-shut ones. They are direct and comparatively easy to deal with. On the other hand, some are so complex that you will lose or be tricked into a lower compensation without legal assistance. Here are 4 situations where you definitely need a personal injury lawyer.
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Wrongful death cases
Victims losing their lives is the worst thing that can happen in an accident. The family members who lost their loved one(s) due to completely avoidable reasons will be in tremendous distress. The distress is tripled if the victim was the sole breadwinner of the family.
Immediately after the death, the survivors (loved ones who lost their loved ones) will face a mountain of financial difficulties. This includes:
- Funeral expenses
- Hospital bills
- Property damage
Excluding the damages above, survivors will have to go through numerous emotional difficulties, like
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Then there are the other losses that are unique to the victim. They include:
- Loss of the decedent’s lifetime income
- Loss of services offered by the decedent
- Loss of potential inheritance
Then there are punitive damages. These are the damages awarded to survivors or victims who suffered due to the acts of recklessness or gross negligence of the at-fault party.
All the damages and losses mentioned are impossible to prove or claim without a personal injury lawyer. Seeking compensation, that too, immediately after the accident, is the last thing on the grieving family’s mind. But thanks to the services of a personal injury lawyer, loved ones can mourn in peace without worrying about a compensation claim.
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Cases with life-altering injuries or disabilities
Disabilities or permanent injuries come right after death in terms of impact on a victim’s life.
Disabilities refer to the victim losing a limb or a body part and having to live without the said limb or body part. This means that the person will have to rely on another person for the rest of their life. This can cause serious emotional distress. Not to forget the fact that the disability will prevent victims from carrying out activities that they once used to do.
As for permanent injuries, they are common in serious accidents. Victims can sustain life-altering injuries like
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Burns
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Scarring or disfigurement
Along with the physical effects, these injuries also have an emotional effect that lasts for a while.
Personal injury cases involving disabilities or permanent injuries have some of the highest compensation. A personal injury attorney is ideal in a situation like this. They help prove the physical and emotional impact of the injuries on the victim’s everyday life.
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When insurance companies refuse to pay
Insurance companies are absolutely stingy when it comes to giving compensation. It’s because these for-profit organizations rely on monthly premiums to make money. Being fair means they’re going to lose money.
Insurance companies go to any extent to make a personal injury compensation claim as difficult as possible. They can
- Downplay your injuries
- Shift blame
- Prolong the process to annoy you
- Offer low compensation to close the claim quickly
You definitely need a lawyer in such situations. They have experience dealing with insurance companies and will know what to do to tackle these evil people.
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Toxic exposure
Just about everyone is prone to some form of toxic exposure. People who’re in the construction, automotive, or mining industries are more so.
Proving toxic exposure can be tricky. One has to find the source and then find relevant studies to prove the side effects of the chemical they’ve been exposed to. They must also find out about similar instances of exposure in other states as well.
All this is extremely difficult without a lawyer. From gathering studies to finding other victims, a lawyer will do all that is required to prove toxic exposure and get victims fair compensation.
Final Thoughts
Trying to handle a personal injury case without a lawyer is difficult. Performing all the elements to strengthen a personal injury case while recovering from injuries is a Himalayan task. It also hinders the victims’ healing.
This is why hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer is recommended. With their help, victims can focus on their recovery, while the lawyer will work to acquire fair compensation.