If you have been injured in an accident at the fault of another party, seeking legal help may not be the first step you take, however it is a crucial one to be taken as soon as possible.

Why hire an attorney early?

You have a limited time to file suit in Louisiana. That deadline is one year from the date of the accident or you lose all rights to recovering any money.

The attorney you hire needs time to investigate whether your case can be successful and who the proper parties are to file suit against. Accident reports and insurance information need to be obtained and that can take several weeks. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to gather important documentation to support your case.

At a time when you may be unable to perform your normal daily functions or are faced with mounting, expensive medical bills, a personal injury attorney can help you with the legal process of suing the responsible party to get you the money you deserve. While you might be tempted to go at it alone without a legal representative, there are many complications that can arise in a personal injury lawsuit, which make having legal advice extremely beneficial.

Some of the many benefits to hiring a personal injury attorney after suffering from an accident include assistance with:

  • conducting investigations;
  • entering into negotiations;
  • handling insurance companies;
  • reaching a favorable settlement; and
  • litigation reinforcement.

Let’s go into a little more depth for each of the above benefits:

Investigation
The personal injury attorney you hire should carry out a thorough investigation to gather sufficient evidence to prove that the other party involved was negligent and, therefore, is responsible for your injury.

A seasoned personal injury lawyer knows exactly what type of evidence to look for to support your case and has access to a network of experts, such as appraisers and doctors, who can provide relevant details about your case and back your claim.

Negotiation

Your personal injury attorney should have the significant experience and negotiation skills necessary to deal with the responsible party’s attorney on your behalf.

Normally, your attorney will issue a demand letter setting out the injuries you suffered and how you got them and send it to the insurance company of the responsible party.  Both sides of the case will share documents during the fact-finding phase of litigation, which is where negotiation skills will be vital.

Insurance Companies

Talking to and dealing with an insurance company can be a frustrating, lengthy process, which, ultimately, may not provide you with the results you desire.

An attorney is accustomed to dealing with insurance companies and will not settle for their usual runaround. Attorneys know the tricks insurance companies employ and they will work tirelessly to get through the complicated paperwork and red tape involved.

The average person may get too overwhelmed and give up, which is exactly what the insurance company is hoping for, but the personal injury attorney will work until they get the proper response from the insurance company.

Favorable Settlement

Many personal injury cases do not make it to litigation and end up settling with an impressive payment to the injured party. When you settle, you commit to not sue in court and take a payment instead.

Knowledgeable and skilled personal injury attorneys know how to negotiate for the best possible settlement in your case, helping you receive more than you may have thought possible and in a much quicker fashion that drawn-out litigation, so you can move on with your life.

Litigation Reinforcement

Finally, if your case does in fact go to trial, you can trust that your personal injury attorney will be able to expertly represent you in the litigation phase.

The lawyer will file a complaint, design a legal strategy to get you the compensation you deserve and argue the case before a jury. Lawyers have been trained and know how to argue and fight for you on your behalf.

There is a lot involved when you seek to receive payment for medical costs and damages and a personal injury attorney can help guide you through the process, taking the burden off of yourself so you can focus on healing.