The best time to hire an attorney is soon after you have been hurt by someone else. If you suspect that another person is responsible for what happened to you, it’s smart to speak with a legal professional who can assess your situation and give you advice. They will help you understand your options.
Below, we discuss when you should hire a personal injury lawyer and what you can expect when you do.
Situations When You Should Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Many people feel that an accident is just an accident and there’s little they can do to hold anyone accountable. The fact is that any time you are hurt because someone was careless or intentionally hurt you, you need an attorney. You may have the right to file an insurance claim or a lawsuit in a wide range of circumstances, including the following:
- Car, truck, or motorcycle collisions
- Pedestrian or bicycle accidents
- Slip-and-fall accidents in a store or on someone’s property
- Dog bites or animal attacks
- Burn injuries
- Bus accidents on public transit
Even if you contributed to the accident, it’s possible that you are less at fault than another party. Under Tex. Civ. Pract. & Proc. Code § 33.001, as long as you are less than 50% to blame, you have the right to seek damages, but fighting against unfair claims of your fault can be challenging. It’s worth the time it takes to arrange a free case review with a lawyer and decide what to do next.
Circumstances That Benefit Most from Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
Generally, the more severe your injuries or property loss, the more you need someone with a strong background in Texas tort law to defend your interests.
Here are some examples of cases that benefit the most from a lawyer’s guidance:
- You are hurt in a drunk driving accident where the driver is at fault, but you can also hold the bartender who overserved them accountable under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code §2.02(1).
- You suffered traumatic brain injuries that require ongoing treatment and surgery, preventing you from returning to work or caring for your family.
- Your case involves complex liability, such as those involving commercial trucking or rideshare companies, where multiple parties could be at fault.
- You suffered serious bodily injury as defined by Texas Penal Code § 1.07(a)(46), leading to significant loss of bodily function or lifespan due to another party’s actions or negligence.
- Your loved one suffered a wrongful death, as defined by Civ. Pract. & Proc. Code § 71.001, allowing your family to initiate a wrongful death or survival action.
Whenever it’s unclear who’s to blame, you’re facing a large corporation, or the losses are substantial, you can benefit from working with a skilled personal injury lawyer. Without their knowledge and assistance, it’s easy to jeopardize your claim and watch the at-fault party get away without facing justice.
Hiring an Attorney Sooner Strengthens Your Claim
The faster you put a legal professional on your case, the better your chances of recovering compensation are. Evidence can disappear, witnesses can forget details, and filing deadlines can pass. If you need to file an insurance claim, you may have as little as 10 days to do so, although you may not have all the evidence you need to present your total compensation needs.
Insurance negotiations can take weeks, yet you have a strict legal deadline for filing personal injury claims in Texas. Under Tex. Civ. Pract. & Proc. Code § 16.003, you have just 2 years to file your lawsuit, or you could lose the right to pursue damages from the at-fault party. However, there are some exceptions that could increase or decrease the time you have, and your lawyer can use those to your advantage whenever possible.
With more time, they can better calculate the full value of your claim so you aren’t left with unpaid bills after your case settles. They can also begin working on crafting a personalized strategy based on who’s at fault, the extent of your injuries, and whether the other party’s actions were negligent or intentional.
The faster you put a legal professional on your case, the better your chances of recovering compensation are.
Start With a Free Consultation to Help You Decide When You Should Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Fortunately, most personal injury law firms offer free case reviews to examine your situation and help you determine if you need a lawyer. They also offer contingency fee payment structures, meaning you don’t have to pay the attorney’s fees until your case settles. At that point, the lawyer receives a percentage of your settlement or jury award to cover their costs, and you retain the rest.
Meeting with them doesn’t mean you have to hire them, but it does give you a better idea of whether you have a strong enough case to take action. Even if you just need help completing insurance forms and securing the compensation you deserve, working with a seasoned professional can make things go faster and potentially result in a higher settlement.
If you’d like to discuss your case with a Texas personal injury attorney, contact us at Liggett Law Group for a free consultation. We have over 70 years of combined trial experience that we can put to work for you.