Many people have personal injury lawyer misconceptions about how injury attorneys get new clients or believe they are just out for the money. The truth is that Indiana personal injury attorney myths can prevent an injured party from pursuing fair compensation for their injuries due to someone else’s negligence without professional legal representation. Check out the injury claim and litigation myths below to learn more about what really happens in personal injury cases.
Myth 1: Most Cases Have to Go to Trial
One of the most common personal injury lawsuit myths is that most cases go to trial in court. Many claims settle before the victim needs to file a lawsuit against the negligent party who injured them. In these cases, the insurance company often reaches a fair offer to settle with the victim after some negotiation between their adjuster and the victim’s attorney.
In cases where the victim must file a claim in court, the victim and the defendant’s insurance company representatives often settle during pre-trial stages before the case goes to court.
Myth 2: Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney Is Expensive
In debunking personal injury attorney myths, by far the greater proportion of personal injury attorneys work on contingency. That means that if your claim settles or you win your case in court, your attorney’s fees come from your final settlement or award.
Your attorney will estimate their fees and add that amount to your compensation request for your settlement or award. Some personal injury lawyers will also help negotiate some of your medical bills and other expenses down so that you can take home more of your final award or settlement.
Myth 3: You Don’t Need To File a Claim for Minor Injuries
One of the most common myths about personal injury lawyers is that they will tell you to file a claim for something as small as a paper cut. While that’s an exaggeration, in cases like car or slip-and-fall accidents, minor injuries can worsen without immediate treatment. No injury is too small when you’re the victim of someone else’s negligence since you shouldn’t have been injured in the first place.
Myth 4: Personal Injury Attorneys Are “Ambulance-Chasers”
Across the U.S., not just in Indiana, personal injury attorney myths refer to injury attorneys as “ambulance-chasers” who bang down the hospital doors to find injured people to represent.
Most attorneys are too busy ensuring they’re representing their existing clients well to chase down new ones. Clients often contact attorneys when they can’t settle with the insurance company on their own. However, working with an attorney early in your claim can help you reach a settlement sooner.
Myth 5: The Insurance Company Will Offer a Fair Settlement
Insurance companies try to deny or devalue legitimate injury claims, especially in at-fault states like Indiana. An attorney can help a victim represent their claim with the insurance adjuster in the initial investigation by the insurance company.
In the days and weeks after an accident, the adjuster will perform an investigation into the accident. Having an attorney performing their own investigation simultaneously and speaking on your behalf when the insurance company has questions can help you settle your injury claim before going to court.
Contact Stewart & Stewart Attorneys for Personal Injury Cases in Indiana
These Indiana personal injury attorney myths can harm a victim’s chances of seeking fair compensation with appropriate representation. After an accident in Indiana, call Stewart & Stewart Attorneys at 317-846-8999 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation at one of our offices.