Every year in the US, over 400,000 personal injury claims are filed, with the most common cause being motor vehicle accidents. Car and other auto accidents account for more than half (52%) of all total cases. Motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and pedestrian accidents are other common causes of personal injury claims.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are an average of 6 million car accidents annually. About 120,000 of the annual collisions include more than one vehicle, and 5,000 result in fatalities.
You may have been involved in a car accident and sustained injuries with those odds. If so, you’re probably wondering how you can ensure the best odds at winning your personal injury case. Below are a few strategies from skilled Denver personal injury attorneys.
Chose an Attorney Who Is Right for You
First, hire a personal injury lawyer if you want a higher settlement. A study by the Insurance Research Council reports settlement payouts are an average of 3.5 times higher for personal injury claims with an attorney than without one.
Good lawyers must have strong communication skills since they use them to present a compelling case on your behalf. However, not all lawyers are of the same caliber or have the particular experience to handle your personal injury case.
Be sure to hire the right lawyer. While picking an attorney based on a recommendation works sometimes, that can be taking a chance. Instead, study the lawyer’s experience, training, skills, the firm they work with, and involvement in the legal community before making a decision.
Since you will be spending time communicating and interacting with your attorney through the claims process, pick someone you actually like. Do they have a pleasant personality and a style that you respect? Making an educated choice will make your personal injury claim process much smoother for you and your family.
Beware of Attorneys Who Overpromise From the Get-Go
While choosing the correct lawyer, steer clear of an attorney who promises you a specific compensation amount without hearing your entire case. That may be a red flag. Also, just because an attorney is flashy and has the gift of gab doesn’t necessarily mean they are well-qualified to vigorously and successfully represent you in the courtroom. So again, do your research before choosing an attorney.
Be Honest and Transparent With Your Attorney
You should present all the facts to your lawyer honestly. There’s no gain in hiding anything, even details that may seem trivial or that you think will reflect poorly on your character.
Your attorney is a skilled legal professional who can decipher what is and isn’t important for your case. For example, let’s say you have a pre-existing medical condition that you worry could jeopardize your claim. You should still disclose this to your attorney. Your attorney and legal team can only offer the best advocacy if you are fully transparent.
Do Not Talk to Insurance Providers Before Consulting Your Attorney
If you speak to an insurance adjuster, they may try to convince you that you don’t need to hire an attorney. Often they claim that it will take longer to get your money or that the court process is excessively long. However, the truth is that most claims are settled out of court, and you might not ever need to step into a courtroom to settle your claim.
Insurance companies are also notorious for questionable tactics like manipulating or strong-arming. They want to get you to say something harmful to your case on the record. If you’re dealing with bad-faith insurance practices, stay calm and wait for your lawyer’s advice.
Think About Whether or Not You Are Truly Ready for a Legal Battle
Before you decide to sue, ask yourself a few vital questions. Can you afford to sue? Do you have the time to dedicate to a legal battle? Unfortunately, many people do not consider these critical circumstances before pursuing legal action.
Refrain From Oversharing Your Case Details, Especially on Social Media
Only talk about your case once you get a lawyer who can give you proper legal guidance. The last thing you want to happen is make a stray comment that later goes on the record for the other party to use against you. That can cause you to lose money or tarnish your case.
Try not to exaggerate the details while discussing your case with anyone, as your words could be taken out of context and later used against you. Regarding social media, the best course is to stay off it while you have an ongoing personal injury claim. The other party will likely check your social media accounts to find evidence against you.
Do Some Research
Informing yourself will help give you a better idea of what to expect. Examine similar cases to yours and what their outcomes were. You’ll also better understand whether you have a quality claim or not. However, your attorney can advise on the viability of your claim after reviewing your case details. Try to look at recent cases since they will be the most relevant.
Get a Medical Professional on Your Side
In a personal injury claim, medical evidence is crucial to success—the more substantial the medical evidence, the stronger the claim. So, if you have a medical professional on your side, that will add leaps and bounds to your case’s strength.
Doctors are considered expert witnesses. Sometimes their testimonies can spell the difference between the win or loss of a case. So make sure you have a credible doctor with a strong-standing reputation. That way, their testimony will carry more weight in the courtroom.
Document Every Piece of Evidence in Your Case
Evidence is crucial to proving your personal injury claim if your case goes to court. Moreover, you must prove that the other person’s negligence caused your injuries. With the help of your personal injury lawyer, you can gather all of the relevant evidence for your case.
Try to take pictures of everything and obtain written official documents. Good quality evidence is the foundation for any legal case. So collect anything that seems relevant and give it to your attorney.
Work Collaboratively With Your Attorney – You Are a Team
You may encounter a disagreement with our attorney. However, remember that your attorney is a legal professional and provides you with their expertise. If you have an issue or disagree with something, discuss it privately and see where you can find common ground. A good attorney will listen and keep the client’s needs a top priority. Working with your attorney will improve your odds of a successful outcome.
Try to Be Patient, And Trust the Process
It’s not always easy to stay patient, especially if you are injured from an accident caused by someone else’s carelessness. While it’s understandable to get stressed about your personal injury claim, try to stay patient.
Ask your attorney to update you, so you know about the case’s progress. Sometimes civil claims take a while to resolve, but it will be more bearable if you take the initiative to keep yourself informed and moving along with it.
Refrain from changing your mind or what you want midway through negotiations. That will complicate things for you and your attorney and make the process longer.
Consider Best and Worse Case Outcomes
Ask your lawyer to sit with you and help you understand the best and worse case scenarios. You can get clear on a few things by understanding the best and worst possible outcomes. First, you and your attorney can find common ground on how far you want to take the case. And you will also have a better idea of what outcomes are likely and what you are willing to accept.
Be On Your Best Behavior
Understandably, a traumatic accident that injures you may have turned your life upside down. The other party may even try to slander your name to win. Sadly, it’s not uncommon to see the opposing party use tactics like character assassination to win the case. That means you should be on your best behavior and not feed in by stooping to their level.
Do Not Completely Shun the Idea of a Settlement
While some cases are better off going to trial, sometimes a settlement is the best route. It can lower legal costs and be less stressful, depending on the circumstances of your unique case. If your attorney can get you a fair settlement for the damages and injuries you incurred, it may be a good idea to settle out of court. Going to trial requires extensive planning and preparation. However, our Denver Personal Injury Lawyers are more than prepared to take your case to court if necessary.
Need an Experienced Dever Personal Injury Lawyer?
Please reach out if you were injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. Nobody should have to bear the aftermath of an accident alone.
Our Denver Personal Injury Lawyers and legal team have the skill, experience, and resources to fight for you. We will happily discuss your case details during your free, no-risk initial consultation.
Schedule a consultation today or call (720)500-HURT.
