People often ask this question in hopes of saving money. You are certainly allowed to handle things yourself, and some people do so in straightforward cases. If you believe this is right for you, ask us and we will give you our honest opinion based on your specific case. However, there are several reasons this is usually not a great idea. Before making the decision to move forward with your case without legal representation, be sure to weigh the pros and cons of doing so.

Following an injury, your focus should be on your physical and emotional recovery. 

The days, weeks, and months following an injury are draining, emotionally, physically, and financially.  Adding on top of that the stress of fighting with insurance companies and trying to research to find out how to go about being compensated for your injury is more than a lot of people want to take on themselves. Calling us as soon as possible after your injury will give you the peace of mind that the legalities are being taken care of and that you are in good hands, allowing you to put all of your energy into getting your life back on track.

Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with. 

Insurance companies want to pay individuals as little as possible for their injuries. This oftentimes means they offer the injured party nothing or very little toward the individual’s medical bills and lost wages, even when that is far less than the available policy limit. As soon as you hire us, a law firm who is known in the community to litigate cases when insurance companies become unreasonable, it ups the anty and the outcome is far better for you as our client.   

When you talk directly to the insurance company soon after your injury without legal advice, it is very easy to hurt your case.

Following an injury, insurance companies will contact the individual directly in an attempt to set the upper limit value of your injury. These conversations are recorded and will be used against you down the line. Oftentimes right after the accident, you may not know yet the full extent of the damage. You may end up needing surgery down the road, miss an extended period of work, or require prolonged rehabilitative therapy, all of which are your damages from the injury. Providing the insurance company with a snapshot picture of how you are doing early on can hurt your case. Your case value according to the insurance company might be far underestimated, making litigation the only option down the road if you want to receive adequate compensation. For this reason, it is in your best interest to call us right after your injury. 

There are many different potential sources of monetary compensation, depending on your specific case. 

As your attorney, our goal is to recover as much money for you as possible in order to cover your medical costs, lost wages, future care, emotional trauma, and harms and losses. Avenues of compensation may be readily apparent sources of insurance. However, there are often less obvious factors in an accident, such as poor road design and markings,  poor or lacking hazard/construction signage, or premises liability, depending on your specific case. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to identify all possible sources of compensation for you, and know how to get it for you.

If an insurance claim is going to be made, documents must be filed according to specific timelines.

By failing to file everything properly and before the deadlines, potential compensation may be negatively impacted or voided altogether. While you can enlist our help at any point after your injury, it is always in your best interest to call as soon as possible so that you don’t unwittingly limit potential financial compensation for your case.

Dealing with the aftermath of a personal injury is overwhelming. Our initial consultations don’t cost anything, so don’t hesitate to call Clausen Law Offices so we can review your case. (520) 327-5000