I am often asked if people need to hire a lawyer to handle their case — after all, lawyers often charge 33% of the recovery. In sum, the more complex or serious a case is, the more you need an attorney to handle it.
According to a study by the Rand Institute, people who hire lawyers, on average, receive 25% more money in their pocket (even after deducting fees and costs) than those who try to handle cases on their own.
The reason why insurance companies pay more money to people represented by law firms that specialize in personal injury litigation such as Yan Kenyon is simple: If an injury victim hires an experienced law firm, the insurance company knows that if it is not willing to make a fair offer, the attorney will file suit, and will have a jury make the insurance company pay a fair amount of money to make the injury victim whole (plus a whole lot of attorneys fees).
However an insurance company also knows that a person without an attorney will have no choice but to take their “final” offer — an unrepresented person being unable to use the force of a lawsuit as leverage.
The end result is the insurance companies make bigger settlement offers to all of the clients of experienced personal injury firms.
On several occasions, we have had accident victims come to our office after they have tried to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company. In almost every single case, we have been able to get these people more money in their pockets than if they had simply taken the “final” offer the insurance company made to them. The one exception is when people have already signed documents given to them by the insurance company before they visit us— effectively signing away and releasing all of their claims before they have even consulted with us. Please protect your rights and make an appointment for a free consultation before you sign anything given to you by an insurance company — yours or the other driver’s.
There are other benefits of hiring an experience personal injury law firm such as Yan Kenyon:
- If an accident victim does not have health insurance, by hiring an experienced personal injury law firm such as Yan Kenyon, a victim will have access to a vast array of doctors, including specialists, who will require no payment until the case is settled.
- Further, by hiring an attorney, an accident victim can focus on getting better, and allow us to handle the paperwork, investigation, and all of the negotiations and discussions with the insurance companies.
- Finally, by hiring an experienced personal injury attorney, an accident victim can be assured that their rights are protected —we will gather and safeguard evidence, obtain witness statements, and calendar critical deadlines — including the statute of limitations, which, if it passes, the victim’s claims are barred forever.
To be sure there are some instances where people may not need an attorney: If the accident victim suffered no injuries and the claim involves only property damage; or if the victim required only one or two doctor visits and missed no time off of work.
Before you sign anything, however, you should consult with an experienced law firm such as Yan Kenyon. Initial consultations are always free, and we don’t get paid unless you do.
– Jay
Jay Kenyon is a principal of the law firm of Yan Kenyon. His practice is 100% devoted to personal injury law.
