Posted on Monday, April 1st, 2024 at 9:00 am
Are you planning to file a personal injury claim in Fort Smith, Arkansas, or the surrounding areas? You should enlist the help of qualified personal injury lawyers in Fort Smith before doing so.
What does a personal injury lawyer do? They handle a wide variety of tasks for each case they undertake. An experienced attorney will tailor their approach to the specific details of your case.
Generally, a personal injury lawyer represents you throughout every stage of the claims or lawsuit process. The benefits of engaging a personal injury lawyer include:
Learning About Legal Options
It’s not always clear whether you have grounds to file a claim after getting hurt or sick. For example, perhaps you were hurt in a motor vehicle wreck.
Arkansas law requires all motorists in Arkansas to purchase insurance when registering their vehicles in the state. You can seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and related losses resulting from car crash injuries by filing an insurance claim with the other driver’s insurance company if you can prove that the wreck was their fault.
A lawyer can review your case and determine whether another party is liable for your injuries. Your attorney can explain how what evidence might be required to prove another party caused the crash so you can pursue the compensation you deserve.
Your legal options can vary depending on such factors as the nature of your injury case, whether you contributed to your injuries, and more. An attorney with experience handling cases like yours can handle the next steps on your behalf.
Leveraging a Law Firm’s Resources
It’s sometimes necessary to investigate a personal injury case to gather evidence of liability. While insurance companies conduct their own investigations when injured parties file claims, an insurer’s investigation will be unlikely to gather strong evidence supporting your claim. Insurance companies are focused on improving their bottom line, and paying money for claims reduces that bottom line.
Investigating a case on your own to gather valuable evidence can require substantial resources. A law firm can leverage its resources to investigate the matter for you. When you hire an attorney, they’re on your side and are focused on proving that you deserve compensation for your injuries.
Speaking on Your Behalf
Corresponding directly with claims adjusters when pursuing compensation is often risky. A claims adjuster may be listening for any statements you make that they can use to deny or undervalue your case. For example, when describing how an auto wreck occurred, you might accidentally make it sound as though you contributed to your injuries.
There’s no need to stress about saying the wrong thing to claims adjusters. If you hire a personal injury attorney, they can handle all communications with the insurance company.
Handling the Claims Process
Seeking compensation by filing a personal injury claim may involve numerous steps. Examples include:
- Determining liability
- Gathering documentation of your losses
- Assessing the value of a claim
- Submitting a claim with thorough documentation
- Determining whether a settlement offer is fair
- Rejecting an offer and negotiating if a settlement offer is too low
An attorney can handle all these tasks. They can also represent you in court if you have to file a lawsuit because an appropriate settlement can’t be reached.
Are Personal Injury Lawyers Worth It?
Most personal injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis. Contingency fee arrangements protect clients from taking significant financial risks when hiring personal injury lawyers.
A lawyer who enters into a contingency fee agreement with you won’t require you to pay upfront fees for their services. Your lawyer’s fee will be a percentage of your compensation. If they don’t get compensation for you, you don’t have to pay your lawyer. A contingency fee agreement incentivizes your lawyer to fight for all the compensation you deserve because they know they will get paid more if you get paid more.
Contact a Fort Smith, Arkansas, Personal Injury Lawyer
The aftermath of an incident that injured you can be challenging to work through. A lawyer can offer significant peace of mind during this time by taking over your claim and pursuing compensation on your behalf. They can help you better understand the legal process and answer any questions you may have about your case.
Our goal at McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm is to provide the representation you deserve while protecting you from insurance companies that may try to take advantage of your inexperience and vulnerability. The best way to learn more about how we can help is to review your case with one of our team members. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at (479) 783-0036 for a free case review.
