If you've been in an accident, you want to get the full compensation you deserve so that you can pay for all your expenses. Unfortunately, it's not a given that your settlement will include everything you actually need. On average, those who work with an accident injury lawyer get settlements four times larger than those who don't, and there are some good reasons for this.

How Can an Accident Injury Lawyer Help Maximize Your Settlement?


1. By Properly Calculating Your Damages

If you've never been in an accident before and have never had to calculate a settlement, you may be surprised at how difficult it is to figure out everything you're going to need. Some things are quite simple, and you're likely to have no issues with these. Medical bills, for example, are pretty straightforward.

However, you likely don't have any frame of reference for how to estimate what your ongoing medical needs might be. It often takes an expert medical professional to give a good idea of what these ongoing expenses look like, and a good personal injury lawyer like those at Hilliard Law will have a network of such experts to turn to in estimating these ongoing costs.

You also may not know how to estimate your pain and suffering. These are non-tangible damages that are real and which the law allows you to claim, but they are very complicated to calculate for, and you can count on the other side trying to minimize them as much as possible. Your lawyer will protect you here and fight for the maximum.

2. By Negotiating Aggressively

Negotiation is a skill. If you haven't engaged in it regularly, you can easily be out-negotiated by the experienced team working for the insurance company, which wants to pay out as little as possible for your claim. A lawyer greatly levels the playing field for you here by bringing years of experience at the negotiating table to bat for you.

Not only does a lawyer know how to negotiate, but he or she will improve negotiations simply by their very presence. When you don't have a lawyer, the other side knows they can take advantage of you. When you do have a lawyer, not only is it harder to take advantage of you, but the other side now knows that you're serious and will be willing to file a lawsuit if they don't play ball.

3. By Protecting You From Blame

In states like Texas, your final settlement will always be reduced by the same percentage as your fault in the accident. For this reason, it's common for the other side to attempt to put as much fault on you as they can. This minimizes the amount they have to pay. One of the things your lawyer will do is to protect you from an unfair apportioning of fault. Your lawyer will also know what's needed to prove the fault of the other party in your accident.

These are just some of the ways that a lawyer will help you to maximize your personal injury settlement. If you've been injured in an accident by someone else's negligence, always work with an experienced local lawyer for the best result.