If you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer in San Antonio, there’s certainly no shortage of them. But a question many injury victims often battle with before pursuing a lawsuit is whether they need an attorney to represent them in the first place.
While it is indeed possible to handle a simple claim on your own, how can you tell whether you need to hire one of the expert lawyers in San Antonio to help you, or if you should just manage your case yourself? This article explores both sides of the coin to see what’s right for you.
Handling a Case Yourself
Before you attempt to manage a claim on your own, you need to be very clear on what’s at stake. Failing to do so might cause you to complicate a relatively straightforward case, only to hire a lawyer further down the line to clean up your mess.
If you are not sure of what to do or what the claims procedure entails, you may want to find a lawyer in San Antonio and figure out if they are worth the cost. With that said, here are a few examples of some cases that you can handle on your own if you’re up to the task.
1. You’re in a No-Fault State
No-fault states are governed by rules that don’t allow victims to sue unless the injuries sustained deteriorate, causing their overall condition to degenerate further. Only then can someone sue.
Therefore, claims are only limited to seeking compensation from your insurance coverage. That’s usually something you can easily follow up. Texas, however, is a comparative fault state, which means that you need to involve an attorney immediately your injuries occur.
2. You Sustained Little to No Injuries in the Accident
It’s no secret that most personal injury claims revolve around auto accidents. If you are involved in a minor one where someone rear-ended you at low speed, it likely caused some minor damage to your car.
Filing a claim with your insurance or the other party’s insurance will usually be sufficient to cover the repair costs. You wouldn’t need to involve a car accident lawyer in San Antonio to do this for you. Nonetheless, if you’re not satisfied with the compensation you received from your claim, you need to seek legal advice on the matter.
3. You’re Receiving the Maximum Policy Amount
All insurance companies payout to their policy limits. If the defendant’s policy limit is $15,000 and you’ve already received a settlement offer of the same amount, attempts to get a larger verdict for a higher amount might be futile.
If the defendant has assets and you feel that you are entitled to a larger amount in compensation, getting a car accident lawyer in San Antonio to help you go after them is the best course of action to take.
4. You Are Capable of Negotiating with an Adjuster
If you’re confident and capable of effectively negotiating with an insurance agent to secure a settlement amount that you consider fair, then go right ahead. But you should only do this if you have sufficient knowledge of the legal process.
In such instances, you could decide to take the other party to Small Claims Court, gather your evidence, and represent yourself. The court might issue a judgment in your favor.
Letting a Lawyer Manage the Process
While it’s a noble effort to try to save money by handling a personal injury case yourself, the reality of the matter is that you’ll be facing an army of insurance lawyers who do this for a living. They have years of experience under their belt and a myriad of skills and resources at their disposal to protect their clients against liability.
The chances of you going toe-to-toe with them and getting a fair settlement are slim to none. Additionally, if you decided to go the Small Claims Court route and the other party has a lawyer representing them, then it would be in your best interest to get a car or truck accident attorney in San Antonio, too. Here are some instances where representing yourself might not be the best idea.
1. You Underestimated the Extent of Your Injuries
If you’re involved in an accident where you suffer a few minor scrapes and bruises, you would likely not consider it worthwhile to hire an attorney. Moreover, if the other party’s insurance company is footing your medical bills and offers to give you a couple of hundred dollars on top of that, you may not think it’s necessary to get legal representation.
However, if the impact caused internal bleeding that you were previously not aware of things can get a little murky. Getting a lawyer on board to pursue damages on your behalf is the best thing you can do.
2. The Minor Injuries You Initially Had Have Become Major
If the nature of your injuries were minor at first and you accepted the settlement offer the insurance company made, that effectively sealed the deal. It meant that you gave up the right to any future claims that arise from the accident.
If you took advantage of the San Antonio lawyers free consultation offers, they would have advised you to wait until the full extent of your injuries was realized. Talk to one and explore what your options are.
3. You Are Entitled to “Emotional Distress” Damages
No personal injury claim is considered complete if pain and suffering damages aren’t factored into the settlement offer. Any car accident, semi-truck, or medical malpractice lawyer – San Antonio would tell be able to explain the full spectrum of damages you are entitled to. They are better-placed to go after them on your behalf to see that you receive fair compensation.
Get Legal Representation If You Want a Larger Settlement
Still thinking about representing yourself? Here’s an interesting tidbit to put things into perspective.
Injured plaintiffs who get a personal injury lawyer to help them go after damages receive a compensation amount that’s 3.5 times higher on average than those who represent themselves. If getting fair compensation is what you’re after, get the best personal injury lawyers in San Antonio, Texas to do it for you.
If you have more legal questions, you can also chat online with a Laws101.com attorney where you’ll be instantly connected to a lawyer who can give you legal guidance on your specific case or question.