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How quickly should I retain an attorney?

Product Liability

When you have been injured in any type of accident, it is very important to speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after the event has occurred. Speaking with an attorney soon after the event provides is beneficial to you and your case. Seeking legal representation at a later date may actually prevent you from obtaining compensation.

The 5 Main Reasons To Seek Immediate Legal Representation

Statutes of Limitations

The Statute of Limitations is a set of laws that are designed to protect both parties in legal action. These laws are applied to criminal and civil cases and apply to every person involved in a legal process. These statutes limit the time a person has to take action against another person in a court of law.

In regard to personal injury cases, most people have between 18 months and 2 years from the date of injury to seek compensation for their losses from the at-fault party. The only exception to this law is a death that results from an injury caused by negligence. The Statute of Limitations applies from the date of the death, not the accident in these cases.

These statutes are aggressively enforced in the court system and anyone who files a case after their limitation period has expired is generally denied. To avoid missing your deadline, speak to an attorney as soon as possible after the accident occurs.

Clear Memories Of The Event

Over time it is not unusual for people to remember events in a different way. Outside influences can cause people to see things in a different way or remember events in a biased manner. TO avoid this problem, anyone involved in a personal injury event is encouraged to get immediate legal representation.

As a benefit to yourself, you should write down as much as you remember about your accident right after it has occurred. If your injuries prevent this, make a recording of your voice and tell what you remember happening. Make sure to say your name and date when you make the recording and state why you are not writing out the events.

Witnesses often forget important facts over time, and the responsible party can also change the way things occurred in their personal statements. Seeking legal action early after the event occurs ensures that all memories are clear and stories genuine.

Loss Of Evidence

Evidence can also disappear over time. Paperwork is misplaced, photos are erased or lost, and witnesses move, change jobs, or pass away. Each one of these factors can be detrimental to your case when you are seeking compensation.

Proper Medical Care

The insurance company covering your accident is required to provide you with medical care so that you can recover from your injuries. However, it should be understood that they often deny treatments that they feel are too expensive, are not necessary or are experimental. Even if you are not responding well to the medical therapies you are receiving, they may deny your requests for additional care.
Hiring an attorney to represent your case when you have first been injured ensures that you receive the proper medical care that you need to make a recovery from your injuries. Your attorney will make sure that you are authorized to seek specialist care, receive second opinions, or are approved for legitimate treatments to help your recovery.

Receiving the right medical care is crucial to your overall health. With improper care, you may face additional health issues from your injuries or never recover properly from the injuries you received. Insurance companies are only concerned with costs, not the outcome of the treatment.

Accurate Compensation

When you have been injured in an accident, you will endure many financial losses. Some of these include:

• Loss of income from employment
• Loss of employment benefits
• Medical costs current and future
• Costs associated with hiring services
• Repair or replacement costs for damaged property
• Losses caused by permanent disability

Many of these issues are very complex and must take into consideration both current and future losses. If you are working with an attorney soon after your accident, they will be able to gauge your losses more accurately.

Additionally, there may be benefits that you are entitled to under the terms of the insurance policy covering the event that only apply for a specific time after the accident. If you file a case for compensation at a later date, you will miss out on receiving any of these benefits to which you are entitled. If you had a new car lease and it got destroyed, you may be eligible for compensation for that.

When In Doubt, Speak To An Attorney

If you are unsure if your accident or injury qualifies for compensation, or you are just unsure if you should seek compensation, you should speak to an attorney.

Personal injury attorneys offer free consultations so that they can answer these and other questions of their potential clients. Your attorney will be able to explain to you what types of compensation that you are entitled to under state law. They will also explain to you any additional benefits that you may receive under the terms of the insurance policy.

It is also important to remember that personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis. This means that there are no up-front costs to you as an injury victim for their legal services. All legal fees and costs are paid from your compensation settlement. This type of payment plan ensures that everyone who has been a victim of a personal injury has the ability to receive quality legal representation regardless of their financial capabilities at the time of the accident.