No one can tell you when you should hire a Tampa personal injury lawyer with absolute certainty. The decision whether to forgo a personal injury case, represent yourself, or hire a lawyer comes down to your personal circumstances.
But hiring a lawyer can bring benefits to you. These benefits can have a direct impact on the outcome of your case.
Here are some of the situations in which you should consider hiring a Tampa personal injury attorney for your accident case.
Table of Contents
The Role of the Lawyer
A lawyer provides legal services. Legal services can include:
Advice and Counseling
A lawyer can review your circumstances and provide advice on how you should proceed. An experienced lawyer will have insight into how facts and situations outside of your case will affect your life. Your health, finances, career, and family life may all play into how you should proceed with your case.
Representation
A lawyer can act on your behalf with respect to third parties. The lawyer must always follow your instructions and update you before taking any action. But when you must deal with a claims adjuster or insurance lawyer, having an experienced lawyer can smooth out the interaction.
Negotiation
Lawyers can help you determine the value of your case, choose a negotiation strategy, and conduct the negotiation. Most lawyers have extensive experience in negotiations and can often get a better or more creative deal than you could get on your own.
Advocacy
When it comes time to fight for your right to compensation, lawyers move past their role as objective advisors. They become fierce advocates for you and your legal rights. They will use their skills to persuade claim adjusters, judges, and jurors to give you fair compensation for your injuries.
When Should You Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Tampa?
During your case, your case could hit several points at which you will need the skills, knowledge, and experience of an injury lawyer. Some examples include:
You Have No Insurance Benefits to Pay for Medical Bills and Lost Income
Florida uses a no-fault auto insurance system. After a car accident, you will deal with your no-fault insurer for medical and disability benefits. These benefits will cover 80% of your medical expenses and 60% of your lost income. You will receive up to $10,000 in benefits.
If your medical bills exceed your medical benefits, you need to find another source of payment for your medical treatment. For most accident victims, stopping treatment will prove detrimental to their health and even their careers. Some hospitals will accept a lien on your injury case as a substitute for payment as well.
Your Injury Claim Is Denied or Reduced
When you file a claim, a claims adjuster will investigate the claim and decide whether to pay or deny the claim. But the insurer has a financial incentive to deny your claim or pay less than full value. The less the insurer pays in claims, the more it profits.
Oftentimes, a lawyer can overcome a claim denial by submitting additional documents or arguments to the claims adjuster. For example, if the adjuster believes you received unnecessary treatment, you can hire a lawyer to put together the medical records and expert opinions to show you needed the treatment.
Your Claim Is Taking Too Long
One way insurers get you to take a low settlement is to drag out the claim process. Under Florida law, the claims adjuster cannot take forever. But an insurer can take advantage of your financial difficulties to pressure you into accepting a low settlement.
If you involve a lawyer, the insurer will have fewer incentives to play games with your claim. Adjusters know that lawyers can pull the trigger on a lawsuit and expose the insurance company to avoidable costs like attorney fees.
As a result, claims adjusters may negotiate with a lawyer rather than relying on delays and frustration to settle the case.
You Suffered a Serious, Permanent Injury
Under Florida’s no-fault law, you can only file a lawsuit if your medical expenses exceed your no-fault benefits or you suffered a serious, permanent injury. Examples of serious, permanent injuries include:
- Death
- Significant and permanent loss of a body function
- Permanent injury
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
When you have these injuries, you should consider talking to a lawyer. Your lawyer will advise you about the value of your case and your options for getting the best possible outcome.
If you suffered a serious, permanent injury due to something besides a car accident, you should still consider contacting a lawyer. The injury will have a profound impact on your life, and you will need help to make sure you get a fair settlement or damage award.
The Other Party Blames You
You must prove the other party was negligent in causing your injuries. If the other party blames you for the accident, you must rebut their attempt to blame you and prove they caused the accident.
In Florida, drivers can share blame for the accident under the doctrine of contributory fault. If you bear 20% of the blame for the accident, you can still recover 80% of your damages. You should contact a lawyer to try to minimize your share of the blame and maximize the damages you get.
The Damages an Injury Lawyer Can Recover
When you establish someone else injured you through negligence, a claims adjuster or jury will compensate you for your economic and non-economic damages.
Your economic damages include all of the ways your injuries affect you financially. They can include your medical bills, lost income, and diminished earning capacity.
Your non-economic damages cover all of the ways your injuries diminished your quality of life. Pain, mental anguish, inconvenience, reduction in enjoyment of life, and inability to perform activities can contribute to your non-economic damages. A Tampa personal injury lawyer can help you evaluate your case and decide how to proceed with it. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer, contact the skilled team at Catania & Catania Injury Lawyers.
