What Happens If You Handle Your Personal Injury Claim without an Attorney

Personal injury claims involve many challenges, so you must not assume you can easily get compensation for your injuries. In general, you need a personal injury lawyer near me to handle your claim. Handling a claim without an attorney puts you at a disadvantage during the claims process and negotiations with an insurance company. This company can take advantage of your situation can get you to accept a lowball settlement offer. 

As a claimant, you are not obliged to retain a lawyer after sustaining an injury in an accident caused by another party. You can bring a claim by yourself and decide to settle your case quickly. But working with an attorney increases your chances of securing maximum compensation for your injuries and losses. Here are the reasons you should not handle your injury claim without an attorney:

You Will Not Have Access to Essential Evidence

Regardless of the type of accident that left you injured, you must provide the viability of your claim and the fault of the other party. To prove fault, you must investigate the accident scene promptly and collect evidence from other sources. The kinds of evidence you may need to prove liability include forensic evidence from the scene of the accident, eyewitness testimony, phone records, vehicle records, receipts, measurements, and more. It’s important to collect these documents to determine the claim to file. 

Your Claim Will Be Taken Lightly

Handling a personal injury claim without an attorney increases the risk of it being devalued, denied, or delayed. Although insurers must handle claims in good faith, they don’t take claims seriously if a claimant does not have legal representation. Insurance providers know that injury attorneys take the cases they handle seriously, so they are more likely to make a fair settlement offer. 

You Will Not Understand Your Long-Term Costs

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be eligible for present and future damages. These include medical bills, lost income, and out-of-pocket costs. However, to recover such losses, you must prove them by establishing how long your accidental injuries will result in monetary losses and how much you will lose during such a period. To prove your injuries’ long-term costs, you must complete different documentation and present evidence. An attorney knows what it takes to be compensated for your short-term and long-term losses as a result of a personal injury. They have been there before, so they are aware of how insurance companies work.

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