Why Hire A Personal Injury Attorney?

by David G. Hallstrom, Sr.

Before you can make a decision as to whether or not you should hire a personal injury attorney / lawyer, you first have to know what a personal injury case is. Most people think that a personal injury claim is a car or motor vehicle accident claim. While an injury sustained in an automobile accident where another was at fault would be a personal injury claim, there are many other matters that also fall under that heading.

A personal injury attorney / lawyer handles matters where there has been a personal injury, either physical or emotional, which was caused by the negligence of another. If there was no negligence then there is no case. There must be negligence, whether intentional or unintentional, on the part of another, for a claim to be valid. In other words, you would have trouble making a case against your landlord, where you spilled water on your kitchen floor and then slipped and fell because of the water. However, if the landlord had failed to fix the plumbing under your sink and the water was on the floor because of leaky plumbing then you may, I say may, have a case.

There are other variables that could come into play and you would need to seek the advice of a good personal injury attorney, in order to determin your rights. There are many matters other than car accident matters that can many times be included under personal injury, IE: slips and falls, workplace accidents (after a workplace accident you may be covered under workers compensation or disability but you may also have a personal injury claim), injuries caused during a storm or power outage, airplane, bus and train crashes, construction accidents, fires, food poisoning, drug or vitamin overdoses, animal bites, getting beat up, robbed or otherwise injured inside or outside of a business, medical malpractice and even malpractice by an attorney.

There are many variables that can come into play in determining negligence and many times you may think that there was no negligence on the part of anyone when there actually was. I myself, know of a case where a party was struck by a car while riding a motorcycle and injured severely. He settled with the driver and the driver's insurance company for the $100,000.00 maximum of the driver's insurance policy. This settlement did not even begin to cover his medical bills. Some time later, a personal injury attorney, while speaking with a member of the injured party's family, found about the case and was asked to look into it for the family. The injured party was broke and paralyzed. The attorney did some checking and then agreed that, even though the man had accepted the settlement, there might still be a case.

He then hired my detective agency and another to do further research. Finally, he filed a law suit against the car driver, the drivers insurance company, the motorcycle manufacturer and others. I won't go into the whole case, but suffice it to say that he went to trial and ended up obtaining a verdict against several of the parties, including the drivers insurance company and the motorcycle manufacturer, for several million dollars and the injured party is no longer broke. I might add that the attorney took the case on contingency and advanced, out of his own pocket, all of the expenses including court costs and investigation fees.

The point of the foregoing is that if you have been injured, you should seek the advice of a competent personal injury attorney even if you don't think that there is anyone at fault. Only a good experienced personal injury attorney can attempt to make that determination.

This article was written by David G. Hallstrom, Sr. for and copywrited by California Personal Injury Attorneys , a directory listing personal injury attorneys, with websites, in California. Permission is given to reprint this article provided that it is reprinted whole and unedited, that credit is given to both the author and California Personal Injury Attorneys.us and that all links contained herein are kept live and working.

Hiring a Competent Personal Injury Attorney

by Jason Hanson

First, please note that the keyword here is "competent," as there are thousands of personal injury attorneys out there who claim to always have your best interest at heart. But how do you know whom to trust? Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were involved in an accident at work, a slip and fall, or an automobile accident that wasn't your fault and you sustained an injury or two in the process?

Would you be willing to take a chance with an attorney that doesn't have a clue? The simple fact is, not every lawyer out there is better than average. There are however some lawyers out there who are truly good people, who entered their profession to serve justice to those who deserve it- you just have to find them!

There are many databases on the World Wide Web that exist to help you pick out a lawyer, but you need to find such a database that is valid- not one that is an advertising outlet for attorneys, with the "Most Competent Award" going to the attorney who bought the largest ad package. If you know someone who has or knows an attorney, they might be able to refer you to a good personal injury attorney.

Good lawyers are friends with good lawyers and will want to refer their friends to the best in the business. One last means to find a competent legal attorney is by checking with your local bar association. They will be able to let you know if there are any issues or complaints on file against a particular attorney.

When you find a lawyer that you're contemplating hiring for your case, don't be afraid to ask for references. When you contact these references, be sure to keep a notepad handy and write down what they are telling you, including their name and other vitals stats. You want to be sure that you can call these people back and hear the exact same story again, ruling out the possibility of a "false reference".

One final check for hiring a competent attorney is the interview process you will put them through when you meet them for the first time. You'll want to talk about such things as payment (either on contingency or a flat-fee), and how long they've been practicing personal injury law in the state.

If this individual makes you feel nervous or uncomfortable in any way, stay away from them. There are many good attorneys out there, so don't settle for less!

About the Author
Jason Hanson recommends you contact the Law Firm of Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook, and Brickman if you need a personal injury attorney

Important Questions to Ask When Looking For Personal Injury Attorney

by Capital Ingenuity

Corporation Personal injury attorneys are a dime a dozen. When you have been injured and are in desperate need of legal representation it is important to quickly educate yourself and find the personal injury lawyer for your case.
Use this list as a resource to help you find the right personal injury lawyer to fit your needs.

Does the personal injury attorney have experience working with other attorneys? Experienced personal injury attorneys should be able to deal most effectively and expediently with opposing counsel.

Does the personal injury lawyer have experience with insurance companies? Personal injury lawyers should be used to working with insurance companies and should not feel pressured to settle for an unsatisfactory amount.

How much success does the personal injury law firm have with jury verdicts? If a trial becomes necessary, a personal injury law firm should be able to represent you in court and work toward achieving the best possible jury verdict.

How much success does the personal injury law firm have with settling out of court? Personal injury law firms should work hard to reach the best settlements for their clients.

What is the personal injury lawyer's experience in assessing claims? Personal injury lawyers should be experienced with cases like yours where they can tell you immediately whether it is worth your while to file a lawsuit.

What is the personal injury attorney's experience with alternative dispute resolution? An experienced personal injury attorney will know whether your dispute may be best resolved through mediation, thereby saving you both money and time.

How objectivity does the personal injury lawyer seem? A personal injury lawyer needs to be more objective about your case than you can. Whereas you may go for a quick settlement and your lawyer may counsel you that it is in your best interest to wait for a more appropriate offer.

Does the personal injury attorney charge fees even if you do not recover? Most personal injury attorneys work for a contingency fee, which means that if you do not win your case, you will pay no attorneys' fees.

Does the personal injury law firm have an investigative team? Experienced personal injury law firms work with a team of investigators who have experience in specialized areas and will investigate the technical aspects of your case.

For more information on contacting a personal injury attorney please visit Pittsburgh personal injury law firm. About the AuthorCapital Ingenuity Corporation is a search engine marketing company.

Is personal injury attorney / lawyer necessary?

by Matthew Meyer

This article hopes to give you the knowledge you need, to feel that you have a firm grasp on the subject.

Before you can make a certitude as to whether or not you should hire a personal injury attorney / lawyer, you first have to know what a personal injury flatter is.

Most people think that a personal injury profess is a car or motor vehicle accident profess. While an injury sustained in an automobile accident where another was at condemn would be a personal injury profess, there are many other matters that also drop under that banner.

A personal injury attorney / lawyer handles matters where there has been a personal injury, each corporal or emotional, which was caused by the negligence of another. If there was no negligence then there is no flatter. There must be negligence, whether intentional or unintentional, on the part of another, for a profess to be official. In other lexis, you would have burden making a flatter against your landlord, where you spilled water on your kitchen ground and then slipped and destroy because of the water. However, if the landlord had futile to fix the plumbing under your sink and the water was on the ground because of permeable plumbing then you may, I say may, have a flatter. There are other variables that could come into play and you would ought to obtain the guidance of a good personal injury attorney, in order to determin your rights.

Keep reading further to learn how this topic can benefit you, as the rest of this article will supply you will the needed information.

There are many matters other than car accident matters that can many epoch be included under personal injury, IE: slips and drops, group accidents (after a group accident you may be sheltered under employees compensation or disability but you may also have a personal injury profess), injuries caused during a storm or sway outage, airliner, bus and sequence crashes, construction accidents, fires, food poisoning, drug or vitamin overdoses, animal bites, receiving beat up, robbed or otherwise injured inside or exterior of a issue, checkup malpractice and even malpractice by an attorney.

There are many variables that can come into play in determining negligence and many epoch you may think that there was no negligence on the part of somebody when there actually was. I myself, know of a flatter where a troupe was struck by a car while riding a motorcycle and injured harshly. He developed with the driver and the driver's shell troupe for the $100,000.00 ceiling of the driver's shell rule. This settlement did not even open to shell his checkup bills. Some time later, a personal injury attorney, while dialogue with a portion of the injured troupe's family, found about the flatter and was asked to look into it for the family. The injured troupe was bust and paralyzed. The attorney did some glance and then settled that, even although the man had accepted the settlement, there might still be a flatter. He then hired my detective group and another to do broaden explore. lastly, he filed a law flatter against the car driver, the drivers shell troupe, the motorcycle manufacturer and others. I won't go into the undivided flatter, but suffice it to say that he went to tryout and wrecked up obtaining a verdict against some of the parties, plus the drivers shell troupe and the motorcycle manufacturer, for some million dollars and the injured troupe is no longer bust. I might add that the attorney took the flatter on contingency and higher, out of his own pouch, all of the expenses plus incite outlay and investigation fees.

The purpose of the former is that if you have been injured, you should obtain the guidance of a competent personal injury attorney even if you don't think that there is somebody at condemn. Only a good experienced personal injury attorney can endeavor to make that determination. Most people think that a personal injury profess is a car or motor vehicle accident profess. While an injury sustained in an automobile accident where another was at condemn would be a personal injury profess, there are many other matters that also drop under that banner.

About the Author
For more information about personal injury attornies see the personal injury attorney directory at http://www.thefreeadforum.com/infowizards/CAT/Personal-Injury-Attornies_56_1.html

Finding A Personal Injury Attorney

by David Walters

We have all seen the various commercials on television for personal injury attorneys that want you to contact them when you are in an accident and need a consultation. Before retaining anyone, you should investigate the reputation of the attorney to make sure he/she will work hard for you.

Asking another attorney that you know for a recommendation is a good idea. Even though he/she may not specialize in personal injury cases, odds are he/she will know someone who does. Although some do fit the stigma of the ambulance chaser that helps clients get money for fake injuries, many are still reputable personal injury attorneys and you want to find that right one.

Once you have a recommendation, it is still a good idea to ask specific questions at your first consultation meeting. Many offer the first meeting for free so that you have the opportunity to make up your mind on who to hire. One thing you should look for in this meeting is attentiveness to your case.

The attorney should answer your questions willingly. If he/she does not seem responsive or doesn't seem very informed when answering the question, you will probably want to keep looking. If an attorney does not seem motivated in the beginning, it may only get worse as the case continues, and you want someone who is going to work hard to get the answers and results that favor you. You also want to clarify the fees schedule at the initial meeting.

Each attorney has a different method for charging. If they take a percentage of your winning judgment, they may work harder to get that better, favorable judgment. If they charge by the hour, you will need to watch carefully as these add up fast. Don't feel bad for shopping around for the best rates among those that have been recommended to you. You may want to consult one of the personal injury attorneys you have seen on television since their ads seem so appealing.

Be aware that although they may be more experienced in such cases, they will probably also be much busier than those who do not advertise on TV. With a large caseload, they may not be able to give you the personal attention that you need even if they do claim to be able to win a sizable judgment for you. As you are healing from your accident, the last thing you want is pain from searching for the right personal injury attorney.

Remember to use that free consultation to help you decide which attorney is right for you. If you can't find recommendations, search the Internet and the phone book for local personal injury attorneys. Without recommendations you may have to interview more to determine which one to hire, but make sure that you are comfortable with whoever you choose so that your case will go as smoothly as possible.

About the Author David is the editor of a top Legal Advice website, and he also runs a site about Investment Advice

Injury Settlements

by Marcus Peterson

If you have been unfortunate enough to be a victim of an injury or accident, you can claim your injury settlement to be paid to you as lump sum amount or in installments distributed over a period of time. The best thing for you to do is to consult a personal injury attorney to decide upon which option you choose.

One parameter for deciding between the two is the level of injury inflicted. If the injury is minor, the best thing to do is to opt for a lump sum amount. But, if the injury is serious in nature and requires treatment with considerable medical expenses, it is better to opt for the increasingly popular structured settlement. Most structured settlements come are paid as annuities sold by third parties, usually insurance agencies.

The benefit of taking structured settlements is they are tax free both at the state and federal level. When compared to taking a lump sum, you will find that while the sum is tax free, the income accrued from its investment-interest and dividends is not. With structured payments, the principal and any money earned from it is tax-free.

Structured settlements, though risk free come with a flip side. Once you sign on the dotted line, you cannot change your decision. You cannot change either the amount or frequency of payment, and the payment schedule is not flexible.

Also keep in mind that structured settlements do have a certain amount of risk involved with them. The best way to cushion the risk factors is that you must place the installments in protective accounts like custodial accounts.

About the AuthorSettlements provides detailed information on Cash For Structured Settlements , Debt Settlements, Injury Settlements, Insurance Settlements and more. Settlements is affliated with Buyer Of Structured Settlements.

injury lawyer , injury settlemens

When Do You Need to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer Attorney ?

by Natalie Aranda
If you have been hurt in an accident and have suffered not only physical but mental pain, you should consider getting a personal injury lawyer. Instead of going through the heartache yourself, a professional personal injury lawyer could help you win the case. By using their knowledge of the law, speaking with insurance companies and doing the necessary research, it is possible to get the money you deserve.

Although everyone assumes that lawyer's fees are preposterous and hefty to pay, chances are they can be realistic. While some law firms require that you pay a significant amount of money regardless of your results, the majority of personal injury attorneys ask for a contingency fee.

This means that if they win the case they will get a percentage of the money you earn. In most cases this percentage still allows you to walk away with a large sum of money. If they do not win the case for you, most major fees are deducted. Therefore, the ball is really in your court.

Since there are dozens upon dozens of personal injury lawyers in your area, it takes time to find a legit and affordable one. The first thing you should do is ask your friends and family about attorney's that they have used in the past. References are always great because you know people who have used them. Far too often people go to random offices, without knowing any background. This could lead to an abundance of fees, and result in a lost case. If you do not know anyone who knows a great lawyer, try consultations. By setting up meetings with these personal injury attorneys, you can get a good feeling about who they are and what they're about. For instance, if you are looking for a Boston personal injury attorney, you may want to do a Google search on the people in your area. These Boston personal injury attorneys may have reviews, ratings, or any other type of feedback on particular websites. This sort of information could be wonderful if you are trying to find a great lawyer.

If you have been harmed in any way and feel that you deserve justice, you immediately need to contact a personal injury lawyer. Avoid all of the common myths surrounding attorney's and focus on your needs. You have been seriously hurt and for that reason, you absolutely are allowed to seek compensation. A personal injury lawyer will not only help you win the case, but he will do it in a respectful way. It is a good feeling to know that someone is on your side, fighting for you every inch of the way.

About the Author
Natalie Aranda writes on family and work.