Although litigation against an insurance company is an intimidating process, some people who are the victim of a car accident decide against hiring a personal injury attorney due to the myths and falsities promulgated by these same insurance companies. These misconceptions are not only harmful to those who are injured as a result of a car accident, but also prevent you from receiving the full value of your claim.
Below, we go through 3 common myths about hiring a personal injury attorney and explain why these falsities are incorrect and how they can actually harm your claim and reduce the value of your recovery.
“1. Insurance companies will treat me fairly because it’s the right thing to do”
This isn’t necessarily a myth as treating their insured fairly is the right thing to do, insurance companies do not make money by being fair or doing the morally “right” thing. Although they may come across as friendly and on your side, I can assure you that “fairness” isn’t in their equation. Because insurance companies are in the business to make money, they train their adjusters to become professional negotiators that know how to trick you into giving them reasons to diminish or deny your claim.
In reality, these insurance adjuster’s job performance is based on how quickly and for how little they can settle claims. It is their ultimate goal to get you to trust them enough so that you reduce the value of your claim. They achieve this goal by using delay tactics, recorded statements, and by giving a false sense of security.
As it is in their best interest, insurance companies will make you think you don’t need to hire an attorney after your car accident. However, a study done by the Insurance Research Council in 2004, found that those represented by an attorney received 3.5x more, even after attorney’s fees were paid. This is because personal injury attorneys like those and Hanecak Law Inc. have experience when dealing with insurance companies and their negotiator-adjusters’ tactics and can get ahead of their reduction tactics before they harm your claim.
“2. I need to hire a big law firm because my case is big.”
It’s true you need a law firm with experience and financial strength to effectively prosecute your case, however, it doesn’t have to be one of the big billboard firms. There are many smaller “boutique” firms that are just as capable, if not more, than the firms you see on billboards and commercials as these smaller firms can focus more on your case to maximize its potential value. When it comes down to it, it is a difference of quality with a smaller firm versus quantity with a larger one.
A big advantage to the smaller car accident law firms is that you will have an attorney who only focuses on injury cases personally dedicated to your case. Hiring someone who handles many different areas of law is one mistake people make when looking for a personal injury attorney. Just as you wouldn’t want a sushi chef to hand toss your pizza just because they are a chef, you wouldn’t want to hire an attorney who does not specialize in the help you need just because they are an attorney.
Personal injury law is much more complicated than people think. It can be extremely complex figuring out liability and calculating damages based on the facts and circumstances of a given car crash injury. To maximize the value of your claim, you need someone who specializes in personal injury law to bring their expertise to the table.
“3. People who sue are just taking advantage of the situation and I’m not like that.”
Of course you aren’t! And neither are the people who we represent! Our clients come from all walks of life, including retired military, accountants, single mothers, real estate agents, bankers, children, doctors, auto mechanics, landscapers, and more. Just like you, these are good, hard-working people, who have suffered serious injuries through no fault of their own. Are these people supposed to just forget what happened and suffer because of someone else’s actions? It wasn’t their fault they were slammed into and suffered injuries, had their car ruined, or missed time from work and they shouldn’t have to keep suffering because of it.
We get the stigma. Bad apples ruin the reputation for the whole bunch. However, just because there are some who abuse the system doesn’t mean that you should be precluded from recovery. If you’re injured by the fault of another, we believe you are not supposed to deal with the consequences–financial, physical, emotional, and others–on your own.
Sometimes accidents happen and there was nothing you could have done differently to avoid the situation. This is why every state requires you to carry at least a minimum level of insurance just in case a car accident occurs. Getting compensated for your losses with an injury claim doesn’t make you a bad person; someone hurt you, we want to help get you back to where you were before you were hurt.
In fact, in most cases we do not make it to the litigation phase. This means that many times a lawsuit is not filed as car accident injury claims can be settled with the insurance company.
Don’t be afraid to contact us to ask questions. We are here to help evaluate your car accident injury claim at no cost to you. We don’t get paid unless you win!
Call us today for a free case evaluation at (858) 812-2096, fill out our form online, or email us at dan@dhlawinc.com. Photo by CQF-Avocat
