Should I Handle My Personal Injury Case By Myself?

This is one of the worst mistakes you can make. Many people believe that negotiating a personal injury claim with an adjuster is easy as pie, and bringing a lawyer in only reduces the amount the injury claimant will recover. Nothing could be further from the truth. A study from the Insurance Defense Research Council analyzed settlements paid by insurance companies in auto accident cases and found that the claimants who were represented by a lawyer on average received a settlement 3.5 times higher than those who tried to handle the case by themselves. Let’s put that in perspective with some real numbers. Let’s say you are able to negotiate a personal injury settlement of $10,000 on your own, but with a lawyer, you would have gotten $35,000. Even after paying the attorney a 40% contingency fee ($14,000), you would still wind up with $21,000, or over twice what you were able to obtain on your own. Insurance adjusters are not afraid of claimants without lawyers, because they know that if their lowball offer is refused, the claimant will not be able to try the case in court on their own. But they are afraid of experienced personal injury lawyers, because personal injury lawyers can try the case to a jury and force the insurance company to pay a lot more than they bargained for. In addition, because you do not know the law, there are many dramatic mistakes you can make which will decimate the value of your case. Don’t try to handle your personal injury case on your own. Contact the experienced professionals at The Medler Law Firm today at 314-727-8777.