How Do People Unintentionally Hurt Their Personal Injury Claim?
There are two main areas where I see people hurt their claims. One is when they give statements to an insurance adjuster or an insurance investigator regarding the claim before they have an opportunity to speak to a lawyer, inadvertently giving an adverse statement that is basically aligned with the defendant’s case. The second thing that people can do to hurt their case involves social media. Sometimes, people claim that they are permanently disabled. They can’t work, but they post pictures on their social media account of them in water skiing, while they’re prosecuting their case for permanent injuries. I’m only interested in taking on bona fide injuries for people who are actually hurt, not people who are faking their injuries and their permanent disability, so that’s generally not an issue in the cases that I take.
What Factors Determine The Viability Of a Personal Injury Claim?
The three things that I look for in evaluating the viability of a personal injury claim are whether there was negligence, whether there was an actual injury, and whether there is insurance coverage or assets to go after. Sometimes, you see a homeowner case where there is no insurance or their homeowner’s insurance has lapsed. For example, someone falls on a set of steps. There’s still an asset there to go after and that would be the actual house, if there’s a lower mortgage or no mortgage. In most cases, you do find the insurance of the defendant to be able to pay the claim.
Can I Even Afford A Qualified And Experienced Personal Injury Attorney?
Generally, all personal injury actions are retained on a contingency basis. That means the attorney pays the expenses of the case while the case is going on and will only get paid when and if there’s a recovery in the case. The attorney’s fee is a percentage of the amount that’s recovered in the case, whether it be by verdict or settlement. People should not have to worry about whether or not they can afford an attorney in their personal injury cases.
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