You were hurt in a Portland accident last week, and you begin reading online about personal injury cases and attorneys. If you aren’t careful, you could fall for many misconceptions that make it more difficult to obtain a fair financial recovery. Let’s take a look at a few of these misconceptions below.
First, the insurance company will likely call you after the accident if their client is at fault. They will ask how you are feeling, but they really don’t care. They only want you to say something that hurts your case. They also may offer you a small amount of money, most commonly to cover medical bills and provide a very small amount of additional money. They could tell you that they cannot offer more than this, but this is almost never true.
It is common practice for the first offer from the insurance company to be a fraction of what the case is worth. They always want to see if the injured client does not have a Portland Oregon personal injury attorney representing them. If they don’t, there is a high probability you will take less money than the case is worth. But if you have a Portland Oregon personal injury attorney representing you, they will know that you will not fall for a low-ball offer.
Second, you may hear you don’t need a lawyer for minor injuries. You don’t necessarily need to have major injuries to hire a Portland Oregon personal injury attorney. Even when your injuries are ‘only’ soft tissue, you still could need an attorney to get you enough money for medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. Just a case of whiplash can be enough reason to hire an attorney and when it is a soft tissue injury that cannot be seen on an imaging scan, they will probably try to offer you a puny amount, so an attorney is usually beneficial.
Third, you might be worried that a claim with an attorney will take too long. It’s usually true that filing a personal injury claim with an attorney will take longer, but the delay is worth it. You could take the minimal amount the insurance company offers you and settle the case in a few weeks. But you probably left thousands of dollars on the table so being in a hurry is not a good idea. A fast payout could cover your medical bills for now, but what if your injuries still bother you in several months or next year? If you can do it financially, it is usually best to hire a Portland Oregon personal injury attorney and let the process play out so you can get more money.
Fourth, we all know that attorneys are expensive, so you might hear that you cannot afford to hire one for your personal injury claim. But most if not all personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis. This means if they settle the case or get a favorable verdict, you pay them part of your proceeds from the case at the end. Most personal injury attorneys charge between 33% and 40% of whatever you receive in a successful case. If the case does not result in compensation, the attorney does not receive anything. This is why a Portland Oregon personal injury attorney is selective in the cases they take. If your case will not likely lead to compensation, they will not take the case.
You should always have your case reviewed by an attorney to find out if it could lead to compensation. The Portland Oregon personal injury attorney will not charge you for a case review.
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