Why to Avoid DIY-ing Your Personal Injury Claim
Posted Friday, November 12, 2021 by Chris Thayer
When it comes to suffering a serious injury, few things can prepare you for the fallout. Injuries can have life-altering effects physically, financially, and emotionally. When this damage was caused by the careless, reckless, or negligent acts of another, it can be particularly hard to accept. The good news is that you do not have to shoulder the financial burden of another person’s negligence alone. By bringing a personal injury claim, you can recover for all financial harm and damage caused by the accident, as well as receive pain and suffering for the emotional and physical trauma that it caused. However, a successful recovery requires understanding the process and what is required to get a fair and comprehensive settlement. Of course, no two cases are the same, so if you would like advice and information that is specific to your unique case, it is important to speak to an attorney. If you would like to speak directly to an experienced Seattle-area personal injury attorney, you are welcome to contact the Pivotal Law Group to schedule a consultation.
Dangers of Han*dling Your Own Personal Injury Claim *The biggest danger in handling your personal injury claim without an attorney-advocate on your side, is that you will not receive a settlement that is sufficient to cover your actual needs. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including that regular people who are not attorneys generally do not know the full spectrum of damages to which they are entitled. To put it simply, you can’t know what you don’t know, and insurance claims adjusters do this for a living, so they will know more than you. A six-figure settlement may seem great until you realize your hospital bills and expenses will be nine-figures, leaving you in more debt than when you started. It is simply hard to know what a fair settlement is when this is not something that you do.
Additionally, many people do not realize that compensatory damages also include anticipated future medical expenses. Often, inexperienced people handling their own claims will simply add up their medical bills in order to determine their damages, but far more goes into calculating damages than just the bills that have already come in. Transportation costs to and from doctors appointments, medical equipment, lost wages, reduced earning potential, in-home care assistance, physical therapy, and the cost of future treatment are all also compensable, as is the non-economic damage of pain and suffering. These things can be hard to know and learn without someone in your corner, and you may be more vulnerable to accepting a settlement that is not fair or comprehensive. Another thing to consider is that there may be additional liable parties from whom you could pursue compensation of which you are not even aware.
*Schedule a Consultation With the Pivotal Law Group *If you have been injured in a Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Burien, Mercer Island, Issaquah, or greater Washington State area accident that was not your fault, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Pivotal Law Group are ready to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out how we will fight to get you every penny of compensation to which you are entitled.