8 Reasons to Hire a Colorado Personal Injury Attorney

Accidents happen all the time — in your car, at work, while shopping at the grocery store. They can range from being as minor as an embarrassing (but harmless) trip and fall, to being in a catastrophic car crash.

Obviously, not every accident calls for taking legal action. Some minor car accidents that merely result in dents and scratches may not necessitate filing a lawsuit as long as the damage is fully covered by insurance and nobody involved is injured in any major physical, mental or financial capacity.

But when an accident does result in serious health and monetary issues, those who are injured may have to sue in order to receive a fair settlement from an insurance company or the responsible party.

Is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney to represent you?

In the case of an auto accidents, here are the main benefits to hiring a personal injury attorney to represent you:

1. Knowledge of Personal Injury Laws

   Becoming familiar with personal injury laws is complicated for a number of reasons. For one, they can vary by state, county, and municipality. Second, the legal guidelines for making a personal injury claim differ based on the type of injury that occurred. For instance, establishing liability in a dog bite case is nothing like determining fault in a car accident, and the statute of limitations is longer in cases involving fraud compared to product liability. In other words, different types of injury lawsuits have different rules that apply.

   Knowledgeable attorneys are able to decipher which laws pertain to your particular case, avoid potential pitfalls and calculate how much compensation you are entitled to. Sure, you can look up the laws for your specific injury in your state, but only a personal injury expert will be able to translate these laws into applicable parameters for your case.

2. Negotiating for Just Compensation

   Many personal injury cases can be resolved outside of court. In fact, most are. If both parties involved in a legal dispute can agree on a settlement amount, then the cost and effort of bringing a case in front of a judge can be avoided altogether. This is a popular course of action with insurance companies, who will often automatically lower their settlement offer to plaintiffs who do not have an attorney representing them.

   For this reason, it is important to hire a personal injury attorney prior to engaging in settlement negotiations or mediation in order to get the full amount of compensation possible. An experienced attorney uses both their in-depth knowledge of personal injury law and their experience to get you fair compensation.

   

   Is Mediation Legally Binding in Colorado Personal Injury Cases?

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3. Fair Representation in Court

   In the event that settlement negotiations break down, it is the job of a personal injury attorney to fight for fair compensation on behalf of their client in front of a judge and jury. Hiring a lawyer with extensive trial experience not only tends to increase settlement amounts, it also makes sure plaintiffs have the representation necessary to seek payment for damages in a court of law.

4. Little to No Upfront Cost

   Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning they charge a percentage of the final settlement amount. Therefore, you only pay if they win your case. Each lawyer’s percentage of legal fees is different so that is something you will have to ask during your initial consultation. Many lawyers also offer free initial consultations, so you don’t need to pay a penny to find out if you have a case.

5. Improve Your Odds of Success

   While each case is different and no attorney can ethically guarantee a win in your case, the data clearly shows that people who are represented by personal injury attorneys secure more favorable outcomes in terms of the size of the award and the speed at which the issue is resolved. There are many possible factors for this—including the fact that insurers are more likely to negotiate larger settlements if a claimant is represented by a skilled litigator.

6. Minimize Your Stress

   Filing a lawsuit and negotiating with insurers is stressful. There are piles of paperwork to file and important deadlines to meet—and the stakes could not be higher. Hiring an attorney to handle the most stress-inducing parts of your case allows you to focus on your physical and emotional recovery. Let us worry about your financial recovery!

7. Understand How Much Your Case is Really Worth

   When clients come to us, they tend to significantly undervalue their case. Perhaps you were told by an insurance company what they think your claim is worth, or maybe you tried using one of those online case calculators. Regardless, by consulting with an experienced injury attorney, you can get a more accurate estimate of how much compensation you are entitled to—including past and future economic and non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

8. Even the Playing Field

   Even though this is no game to you, make no mistake that the insurance company or at-fault individual likely has hired a legal team that is working at this very moment to outmaneuver you and secure a win for their client. To them, you are just another case number. Individuals who choose to represent themselves often get outplayed by lawyers who know how to exploit loopholes in the law to their advantage and pressure accident victims into settling for far less than their case is actually worth. By hiring your own legal representation to advocate on your behalf, you can ensure that your rights are protected and you are fairly compensated. The other side has a team of legal experts, and so should you.

Personal injury attorney R. Mack Babcock has represented numerous clients injured by car accidents, slip and falls, negligence and other accidents throughout Colorado— both in and out of court. When an injured party reaches out for counsel, Babcock uses his in-depth knowledge of personal injury laws to determine the proper level of compensation for the plaintiff, and the best course of action for obtaining it.

If you or a loved one were seriously injured and denied fair compensation, schedule your free consultation with R. Mack Babcock today.