Whether you have been involved in an automobile accident, a slip and fall incident or sustained a workplace injury, it is important to have the right representation in your corner. While drivers, employers and businesses all carry accident and liability insurance, the insurance companies are not anxious to part with their money.
If you hope to recover your out-of-pocket costs and get compensation for your injuries, you need to hire an expert from the start. Recovering damages is no easy feat, and there are many obstacles on the way to a settlement. Here are three major obstacles injured parties face when trying to recover money after an accident.
#1. Proving Who Was at Fault
This is perhaps the most basic of all questions, but it is also one of the most important. Before you can seek any kind of damages, you must first accurately determine which party was at fault.
That process is harder than it appears. In many accidents there was more than one factor involved. Even if the situation seems clear-cut, you can be sure the insurance company will be fighting and trying to assign you some level of fault for the accident. Having an expert in your corner is the best way to protect your rights and start the ball rolling.
#2. Substantiating Your Damages
When it comes to recovering damages, you may be limited to your out-of-pocket costs and reasonable expenses. Before you can recover a single dollar, you will need to substantiate the amount of damages you claim.
That means gathering all of your financial records – from tax returns and pay stubs to self-employment ledgers and medical records. Having an expert go to bat for you can make this entire process easier and help determine how much money you are entitled to for your injuries.
#3. Deciding When to Settle
The whole goal of suing after an accident or injury is to be compensated for other damages you have incurred. Whether those damages include loss of wages, medical bills or pain and suffering, it is important to know when to settle and when to take the case to court.
An experienced attorney will have the expertise needed to know when a jury trial is in your interest and when mitigation and out-of-court settlement is the best path. No matter how severe your injuries after an accident or how complex the case, an expert lawyer can help you navigate these tricky waters and determine which path is the best one for you.
Personal injury cases can be extremely complicated, and it is hard for a non-expert to know which steps to take and when to take them. Having an expert by your side is the best way to step through the process and make the path from accident victim to fully compensated individual as smooth as possible. If you have been injured in an accident or suffered loss as the result of someone else’s negligence, the time to act is now.
