Hiring a lawyer can seem like a daunting task. If you were injured in an accident, having a lawyer on your side can be an essential resource to help you get compensation. But is it worth it? The Carrion Law Firm’s New York City car accident lawyers discuss some of the reasons it can be worth it to get a lawyer for your car accident case.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Lawyer for a Car Accident Case in NYC
One of the best ways to determine whether something is “worth it” for you is to make a list of pros and cons. Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks we see to hiring an attorney for your car accident case in NYC:
Pros
As attorneys, we can see the benefit that we provide to clients every day after car accidents. A Queens car accident lawyer can represent their client, standing up for them against insurance companies, at-fault drivers, judges, and anyone else that might jeopardize their chance at recovery. We can represent your best interests and help you make informed, calculated legal decisions.
Trained lawyers with experience handling car accident injury cases understand the processes, and they know how to file claims with insurance companies and courts to get you the compensation you need. They also understand the types of compensation available and the best routes to take to compensate different types of damages.
Ultimately, a lawyer is a trained professional that should advocate for you and assist you, but your lawyer does not replace you in the process. You are still in charge of the decision of whether to settle your case or whether to go to trial. Without a lawyer, you maintain full control, but you are responsible for deadlines and case management – something you might not have experience with. Hiring an Islip car accident lawyer also gives you some distance from the specifics of the case, which can be important if your emotions are heightened because of the post-traumatic stress of the injury or because you are angry at the defendant for hurting you.
Lastly, lawyers can often be paid through winnings when representing a victim in an injury case as part of a “contingency fee” arrangement. This means your Staten Island car accident attorney will not get paid unless you do, and the services will cost you nothing until you win your case.
Cons
When you hire a lawyer, you do give up some control over how the case is handled, trusting your lawyer to handle the legal strategies in the case. Some clients feel like they’re left in the dark about what’s happening in their case, but a good attorney should work to keep you informed and make you feel involved.
Lawyers of course typically take a fee for their services. Without a lawyer, it might be difficult to win the case, or you might miss out on damages. As such, the trade-off is often worth it. Damages could also include payment for legal fees, reducing the burden of this cost.
If your injuries are not severe and you trust your insurance company to protect you and pay you what you need, a lawyer might be unnecessary. It is best to get a free consultation from a lawyer that offers them to make sure that there isn’t something you’re missing in your case. If there isn’t something you’re missing, it may be a simple enough matter that you can handle the claim on your own. It becomes less “worth it” to hire a lawyer if you only suffered minor vehicle damage and have already taken steps to get an estimate from your insurance company.
Lastly, hiring a lawyer might look like you are “making a big deal” out of the case. In some cases, it is absolutely a “big deal,” and you might really need to depend on the help of a lawyer. If the case is a low-dollar, low-speed fender bender with no injuries, hiring a lawyer might seem like a nuclear option. Consulting with a lawyer on the side is always preferable so that you can check your options, but you do not necessarily need to hire them afterward. If you retain counsel, the other side will be more likely to get a lawyer, too.
Determining Whether It’s Worth Hiring a Lawyer After a Car Crash in NYC
Ultimately, the question of what’s “worth it” will be a personal decision – and it will need to take into account the specifics of your case. If you were seriously injured in a car accident in NYC, trusting the insurance companies to handle everything and pay you what you need will often leave money on the table and prevent you from getting the full compensation you deserve. Lawyers can help find additional damages that you might not even think of, potentially increasing the money you receive in your case.
If your case involves more than just property damage and you suffered injuries that keep you from working or require medical treatment at a hospital, you should absolutely hire a lawyer. Trying to handle these cases on your own can often leave you vulnerable to unfair settlements.
Lawyers might have a cost associated with them, but lawsuits often help cover the cost of a lawyer for victims. The benefits often outweigh the costs, and many of the cons of hiring a lawyer are minor compared to the enormity of the benefits.
Call Our Attorneys for a Free Consultation on Your Car Accident Case
After a car accident, you should at least consider contacting an attorney about your case. The Carrion Law Firm’s Brooklyn car accident lawyers offer free legal consultations. There is no risk to calling us and learning more about our services and how they can apply to your case. If you decide that it will be worth it to hire an attorney, we can fight to help maximize damages and get you the compensation you need. If you choose not to hire a lawyer after our consultation, that’s your right. Schedule your free case consultation today by calling us at (718) 841-0083.