When should I go for hiring a personal injury lawyer? This is a common issue often asked when someone suffers an accident, car crash incident, slip or fall, or any other type of mishappening.
Despite COVID, Chicago saw a massive increase of 7,467 car crashes in 2020. More than 319,146 accident cases were recorded in Chicago within the last year. This makes it a total of 874 traffic crash cases in a day.
These unfortunate and uncertain incidents raise the need for working with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Chicago. When it comes to hiring an attorney, one needs to be assured of if they really need them or not.
Here are some circumstances and questions for yourself to answer and see when is the right time to collaborate with the attorney.
Is my injury serious?
This should be the first thing to ask yourself. Find out or consult a practitioner if your injury is serious enough to be discussed with a Chicago area personal injury lawyer or not. In case the injury is minor, and you have ample time to deal with the insurance and legal processes, settle down to manage your claims on your own. However, it is important to consider seeking the assistance of an attorney at all stages.
And if the case involves chiropractic work, physical therapies, mandatory hospitalization for weeks, surgeries, cosmetic surgery, orthopaedic treatments, rehabilitation, etc., then you are likely to consult a personal injury lawyer.
Is an insurance company representative assisting you?
Most insurance companies appoint a claim representative to help individuals in reducing the number of losses suffered. They initiate so as to minimize the overall payout of companies suffered during the injury claims. In case an insurance company representative tends to assist you by asking you for information like medical records, statements, etc., consult your attorney immediately.
The insurance representatives may push you to make statements that may hamper your claim process. Therefore, do not reveal any detail of the case without consulting your attorney. Besides this, avoid associating with the adjusters who may try to contact you to minimize the amount of valid claim.
Is the company refusing to pay the claim amount?
The insurance companies are often seen using diplomatic tactics and reasons to avoid paying the wholesome amount of claim demanded. Generally, these tactics may include – refusing to pay the claim amount due to unclear reasons, unnecessary delay in the process, making extremely low offers, etc. Here, a personal injury attorney understands these tactics and tackles them accordingly. Thus let your attorney handle such cases to make your case stronger.