When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you’ve been hurt or seriously injured in an accident because of another person’s negligence or wrongdoing, you should seek immediate medical assistance. After that, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. This is crucial as the attorney will help you pursue justice and financial compensation from the party responsible for your damages and losses.

A personal injury law firm will also help you protect your rights and best interest against powerful insurance companies. These companies are infamous for trying every trick in the book to avoid paying fair compensation to accident victims. What’s more? They could even deny your claim entirely.

Having said that, all cases are different and not all personal injury cases require the assistance of attorneys. Still, it can be advantageous to have someone knowledgeable and experienced review your case and provide game-changing guidance. Your personal injury attorney in Utah will explain your legal rights and options, and advise you on how you can maximize your settlement amount.

If you’re on the fence about working with a law firm in Utah, this post should help you make up your mind.

6 Situations Where You Should Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

Read on to know about the kind of situations where you can benefit from hiring a personal injury attorney.

1. When Liability for the Accident Is Disputed

In order to establish liability, accident victims need to prove that their injuries were the result of another party’s negligence, error, or wrongdoing. Remember, you won’t receive any compensation for your injuries if you fail to prove that another driver caused your car crash or semi-truck accident in Utah. If the other party disputes liability, you should call a lawyer immediately.

Your attorney will thoroughly investigate your case’s facts to determine exactly how your injuries occurred and who can be held liable for them. They’ll then gather relevant evidence and devise a watertight strategy to prove liability.

2. When You’re Being Held Responsible for Your Injury

The insurance company of the at-fault party might accept liability, but they can also refute your claim by saying that you were responsible for your accident and, therefore, your injuries. They might say that your speeding caused the car or semi-truck accident.

By saying this, they could hold you partially at fault for your crash, even though the other driver did not yield the right of way. If the insurance company proves its stand, you’ll receive either a low or no settlement amount.

Insurance companies are notorious for using contributory negligence allegations to minimize the amount they need to pay to resolve a claim. Experienced Utah personal injury lawyers know how to deal with these baseless allegations.

3. When Multiple Parties May Be Liable

Sometimes, more than one party may be responsible for your injury. When multiple parties are involved, you can benefit from hiring a personal injury lawyer in Utah. Examples of such cases usually revolve around medical malpractice, multi-vehicle accidents, product liability claims, and so on.

While proving multiple liabilities can mean more money for you, it can also mean a more complicated and challenging fight.

Seasoned attorneys are familiar with resolving additional issues that may spring up in cases with multiple defendants. With the parties trying to shift the blame on each other, your lawyer will work to build a case narrative that protects you.

4. When You’ve Suffered a Severe Injury or Disability

Personal injury cases where victims have suffered traumatic injuries and/or permanent disabilities usually have issues that need a special focus. If you were disabled by a defective product, for example, you’d probably require ongoing medical treatment and physiotherapy. Further, you might not be able to work anymore, which means you’ll need to consider future damages as well.

Often, traumatic injury cases involve huge settlement amounts. Depending on your disability and age, future damages can go into millions of dollars. To calculate this amount accurately, your Utah personal injury lawyer will work with medical and finance professionals. This will help you receive the maximum possible settlement for your injury claim.

To improve your chances of obtaining fair compensation, you should certainly consider retaining a competent personal injury attorney. They’ll know how to compute your damages and maximize the value of non-economic damages due to you.

5. When the Insurance Company Is Trying to Cheat You

Regardless of your decision to hire a Utah personal injury lawyer, know this for a fact – the insurance company of the other party does not want to pay you for your injuries and damages. Insurance agencies work with a team of professional lawyers to get out of paying for such claims, acting in bad faith when dealing with victims.

They may try and prolong their investigation so that your claim ends up exceeding the statute of limitations, depriving you of your right to file a lawsuit. Other common bad faith tactics that insurance companies employ include:

Asking for unnecessary and arduous paperwork to process a claim
Not investigating the claim properly
Issuing false allegations of contributory negligence
Denying a valid claim and refusing to pay
Deliberately misleading victims about their rights
Distorting the terms of the insurance policy

The simple truth is, that insurance companies are likely to take your personal injury claim more seriously when they know that a seasoned lawyer is representing you. Personal injury attorneys in Utah understand the various tricks insurers use, and know about the pertinent laws that can deflate their ruses. So, if the insurance agency refuses to offer a fair settlement for your claim, work with a personal injury lawyer to file a lawsuit and fight for what you deserve.

6. When a Governmental Agency Is Involved

Personal injury cases where you may have to sue a governmental entity may be particularly difficult to navigate. Governments are protected from several liabilities, but there are exceptions that a qualified personal injury lawyer in Utah will be aware of.

If you were injured in a bus, train, or subway accident, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. The deadline for filing claims against governmental agencies is shorter compared to other claims. For this reason and many others, it is imperative to have a Utah personal injury attorney handle your claim.

Wrapping Up

Whether or not you should hire a personal injury attorney in Utah depends on several factors – there are no fixed guidelines for it. If you’ve sustained grave injuries, it’ll always work in your favor to engage a Utah personal injury firm as their knowledge and experience can help you smoothly navigate the complex legal maze. It’s important to engage the service of attorneys in Utah sooner rather than later to make all the necessary deadlines.

Henriksen & Henriksen has been representing clients in Salt Lake City for 60 years. From the moment we accept your case until a final resolution is reached, our personal attention to each case increases the likelihood of achieving positive results. If you’re looking for reliable legal representation in Utah, call (801) 521-4145 or book your appointment online.