Three Common Misconceptions About Personal Injury Law
Most people will go through life and never need a personal injury lawyer. That’s a good thing. For those people who aren’t so fortunate, here are some facts about personal injury law that will hopefully clear up any misconceptions that people may hold. After all, your Uncle Joe may have meant well by telling you about the personal injury case of his dogwalker’s next door neighbour’s cousin who got in a car accident in Utah but the information he shared probably isn’t relevant to your case.
#1: The Lawyer Will Take All My Money
Almost all personal injury lawyers are hired on a contingency fee basis. This means that the injured person will not pay a monetary retainer at the outset of the lawyer-client relationship and will only pay a fee if the claim is successful. The amount of the fee is prescribed by the contingency fee retainer agreement, meaning there are not any surprises for the client when the case concludes. Most of my clients are pleased when they are introduced to the terms of the retainer agreement. It is less expensive than people suspect it will be to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.
2: If She got $1,000,000, so Should I!
Trying to predict the value of your case based on the value of a case you’ve heard about is not a productive exercise. Determining the value of an injury case is dependent on a huge list of factors, such as age, occupation, earnings, housekeeping and home maintenance responsibilities, credibility, injuries, recovery and future needs, just to name a few. All cases are truly different and each province and state has their own laws that influence the value of cases. To understand the value of your case, consult an experienced personal injury lawyer and remember – in a contingency fee relationship, the lawyer’s compensation is tied to yours. He or she has an interest in maximizing your recovery.
#3: The Lawyer Won’t Care About Me
Some people think that they’re just another number to their lawyer. That couldn’t be further from the truth in my practice. We work with people during the toughest times of their lives. Often we are helping people through the loss of a loved one or through dramatic changes in their lives – changes that come from devastating things like spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury. We become fully invested with our clients and I can’t imagine it any other way.
Hopefully you never need a personal injury lawyer. If you do, please meet with an experienced personal injury lawyer to explore your options. And don’t listen to Uncle Joe!