When you’re in a car accident, it can be overwhelming to take care of coordinating
with the other driver’s insurance company regarding the property damage of your vehicle –
whether it be a total loss or needing repairs – as well as securing a rental vehicle. To try to deal
with this while you are healing from the injuries of the accident and trying to get your PIP claim
started to cover your medical bills and lost wages can be overwhelming. These are some of the
reasons to hire a personal injury attorney to handle your claim.
An attorney has experience in handling these various issues, and can take that load
off of your shoulders while you are going to doctor’s appointments and dealing with the pain of
your injuries. It is very important to hire a personal injury attorney as soon after the accident
as possible in order to get as much return on your investment as possible. Almost all personal
injury attorneys work on a contingent basis, which means that they get paid one-third of what
they recover for you from the other driver’s insurance company. Given that fact, it makes sense
to hire an attorney as soon as possible so you get as much benefit from his experience as
possible, as well as lessening your burden of dealing with the various insurance companies. The
attorney will get one-third of your recovery whether you hire him days after the accident or two
years after the accident. How much better to have the benefit of his advice and experience for
as long a period as possible.
If you are in a car accident, you will find that many friends and acquaintances have
advice on how you should handle your claim. It seems that everyone is an expert. It is much
better to get customized advice on your specific situation from an attorney who has handled
these matters for years and can guide you through the often complicated insurance issues that
arise. For example, you will be confronted with numerous coverages that will come into play –
PIP, collision coverage, rental coverage, liability coverage for the other driver, Underinsured
Motorist coverage from your policy, as well as your health insurance coverage, which is
involved with paying your medical bills. Unfortunately, most people are not experts in dealing
with these coverages because they have not been in many automobile accidents. However,
attorneys have dealt with these coverages, and know how they fit together in an auto accident
claim.
Another reason to hire an experienced personal injury attorney is that most people
have no idea as to what their claim is worth and will be unable to determine whether an
insurance company is trying to “low ball” them or is actually making a legitimate offer. Nor
will they know that an insurance company will never believe that your original offer is what
you’re actually looking for. One always asks for more than the claim is worth so as to give
yourself room to come down in negotiations.
Similarly, no insurance company would be willing to give their very best and
highest offer to a lay person making a claim. They know that the person doesn’t know how the
game is played or have any experience in what the claim is worth. Accordingly, they are likely
to give a much lower offer to someone who is unrepresented. Obviously, you would be totally
unprepared to be able to take your claim to court should the insurance company provide you
with an unsatisfactory offer. The procedures of courts and the rules of evidence are not
something that most people are aware of or comfortable with. The problem is that if you hire
an attorney at that point, he will take the same fee as if he had been with you from the
beginning. Yet another benefit of hiring a personal injury attorney is the fact that he will be the
one who will collect the medical bills and reports and pay for the cost of those documents. If
there is no recovery, he will not charge you for his out-of-pocket expenses – “no recovery – no
fee”.
In conclusion, you wouldn’t try to take out your own appendix just to save money
and you shouldn’t attempt to settle a claim in a field where you have no experience. Leave it to
the experts at Hoffman, Comfort, Offutt, Scott & Halstad, LLP, to fight for what you deserve.
Hoffman, Comfort, Offutt, Scott & Halstad, LLP, is an established law practice
dedicated to assisting accident victims throughout Maryland. We also specialize in wills,
estates, trusts, business law, elder law and real estate law. To get in touch or schedule your
consultation, call us at 410-848-4444. We are here to help you get the compensation you
deserve and start on the path to healing.
