The Benefits of a Personal Injury Attorney
After an accident, many injured victims consider negotiating their own settlements. Maybe they have handled a small home insurance claim in the past, so they feel confident they can handle their own personal injury claim. They might also be worried about paying a lawyer’s fees, which they believe will reduce the amount they take home.
Attempting to tackle an undertaking like this by yourself is a mistake, however. A New York City personal injury attorney offers many benefits to accident victims and can often help victims recover significantly more compensation than they would if they had represented themselves.
An Attorney Strengthens Your Claim
Obtaining compensation requires showing that some person or entity was at fault for the accident that injured you. This evidence can take time and energy, which are often in short supply when a victim has suffered serious injuries. If you have a broken bone, burn, or brain injury, you might not have the energy to go out and collect evidence. Your NYC personal injury attorney can do all this for you.
Evidence is not always easy to find, either. For example, you might have slipped in a business parking lot. In a case like this, a lawyer may need to visit nearby businesses to see if there is surveillance video of the parking lot where your accident occurred. Because lawyers know what evidence is helpful—and where to find it—they can pull together unusually strong claims for compensation.
Your Personal Injury Attorney Can Increase Your Settlement
Insurers rarely offer fair settlements right out of the gate. Instead, they typically make a low-ball offer, discounting much of the pain and suffering that a victim has experienced and sometimes even challenging the amount of medical care a client has received.
To get the compensation they deserve, victims often need to negotiate with insurers, which have little incentive to increase the amount offered. Many insurers are confident they can outwait an injured victim, who needs money to pay their rent or mortgage, buy groceries, and pay for medical care.
Our lawyers understand the insurance laws that require that insurers treat victims fairly and settle claims quickly. When insurers act in bad faith, they can be sued for failing to follow these rules. Consequently, we can put pressure on insurers whenever they are acting unfairly. Many insurers behave very differently when they see a seasoned attorney on the other side of the bargaining table. Because of our experience, we can often increase the amount of money our clients take home—even after deducting our fees.
Your Attorney Can Fight for You in Court
Settlement negotiations are not always successful. Some insurers will not make a fair offer, no matter how much back-and-forth is involved. In these situations, a victim needs an attorney who can file a lawsuit to obtain fair compensation.
Litigation is complicated and requires detailed knowledge of legal procedures and evidence. Our team can successfully bring a lawsuit and make a compelling argument to a judge and jury. If successful, our clients can often receive substantial compensation at trial.
Contact a New York City Personal Injury Lawyer to Get Started
With so much on the line, there is no reason not to hire a qualified personal injury lawyer in NYC to represent you. At Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman, we remain committed to our clients. If you call 212-285-3300 or fill out our contact form, we will get to work on your behalf, too.
