- Personal Injury
In recent years, a Fayetteville personal injury lawyer often hears this phrase from potential clients: “I’ve done some research on my case”. What follows next is one of the several personal injury myths that can be found on various unreliable websites. In many situations, they are tacitly supported by insurance companies, because it suits their purposes.
For this reason, we believe that we must set matters straight on this topic. Too many people lose their cases or get a reduced settlement amount because they fell into the trap of these personal injury myths and made irreversible mistakes.
The first and foremost thing you must always believe is that a Fayetteville personal injury lawyer is the only person who cares about your rights and protects your best interests. This is why hiring a lawyer must be one of the first things you do after an accident – whether it is a car crash, a slip and fall, or an injury caused by a defective product.
Personal Injury Law in Georgia Gives Victims Rights and Obligations
As a personal injury victim, you have the right to seek and obtain compensation from the negligent party that caused your economic damages. However, you also have the obligation to prove that:
- They owed you a duty of care.
- They breached their duty and caused an accident.
- You suffered injuries as a result of the accident.
- The injuries resulted in damages, such as medical bills and pain and suffering.
Also, there is a clear deadline for taking legal action against the negligent party. This deadline, called the statute of limitations, is 2 years after the date of the accident. If you exceed this deadline by just one day, the case will be thrown out of court.
5 Common Personal Injury Myths
So, with these ideas in mind, here are the personal injury myths you must never believe and act on.
1. The Police Report Contains Everything You Need to Win Your Case
Accident reports prepared by the police are, indeed, useful, in various accident cases. But you should not rely only on the information contained there. Police officers are human, too. They may be tired, miss an important element or be under pressure to arrive at the next case in a short time.
This is why you should never rely only on the police report, but also document the accident scene on your own. The photos and videos you take may contain essential clues helping your Fayetteville personal injury lawyer to win your case.
2. There Is No Need to Involve a Lawyer in the Claims Process
This is one of the personal injury myths that insurance companies really want to keep alive at all costs. Without a lawyer, an injured person is absolutely defenseless against an insurance adjuster determined to deny or devalue their claim.
You cannot fight back against an adjuster’s flawed argument, because you do not know all the laws protecting your rights. You are also unable to access all types of information and evidence a lawyer has access to, such as:
- The other driver’s record of traffic violations
- The driver’s phone log
- Maintenance and repair logs for vehicles, buildings, commercial properties, etc.
These are necessary in many cases to prove the other party’s fault. However, only a Fayetteville personal injury lawyer can obtain them.
3. You Can Wait Until You Are Fully Recovered to Pursue a Claim
We refer to one of the obligations described above in order to disprove this personal injury myth. You should start the claims process as soon as possible after the accident that caused your injuries.
You do not know how long it takes until you are fully recovered. It can take months. Then, the insurance company will try to delay the procedures as much as possible in order to reach the point when the statute of limitations has passed.
A Fayetteville personal injury lawyer knows that, in some cases, you have to file a personal injury lawsuit. Even if the case will be eventually settled out of court, the procedure itself is necessary to show the insurer that you won’t give up.
However, you must file the lawsuit within 2 years after your accident. Thus, you must not waste valuable time waiting until you recover.
4. Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer Is Expensive
Here’s yet another one of those personal injury myths that insurance companies want you to believe. The fact is that anyone affords to retain professional legal representation. Our law firm offers all potential clients a free case review.
And if we believe that you have a solid case, we will represent you on a contingency fee basis. Your Fayetteville personal injury lawyer will collect their fees after they win your case, out of your settlement amount.
5. If the At-Fault Party Does Not Have Valuable Assets, I Cannot Recover Damages
When you file a personal injury lawsuit, you will name the at-fault party as the main defendant. The insurance company has to defend them – this is the essence of the contract established by an insurance policy.
Thus, the biggest part of the damages will be actually paid by the insurance company – if it comes to settling the case in court. The largest majority of cases is usually settled out of court.
Insurance companies know that a lawsuit is expensive and takes time. They are also quite aware how strong or weak their case is. Also, they count on the fact that you believe various personal injury myths – including the one that the defendant has to pay your award out of their personal finances.
Once a Fayetteville personal injury lawyer announces that you filed a suit, the insurance company will suddenly become more willing to accept a fair settlement amount.
An Experienced Fayetteville Personal Injury Lawyer Has the Answers You Need
Wade Law is a team of personal injury lawyers with a combined experience of over 70 years. We know all the personal injury myths you may stumble upon online. We also know that insurance adjusters will not correct you if you believe in one, because they can build a case against you.
The only truth you will get is at the end of a free case review with a Fayetteville personal injury lawyer. We will examine the available evidence carefully and give you an honest legal opinion.
If you have a valid case, we will represent you on a contingency fee basis and fight to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Do not waste time, because it is precious in such a case. Schedule your free case review with us as soon as possible!
