Can I File a Personal Injury Claim Without a Lawyer?
Posted in: Legal Blog
KNR Legal Blog
If you have suffered an injury due to negligence or possibly willful intent on the part of another individual or entity, you may not know what action to take next. You may have asked the question: Do I have to go to trial if I hire an attorney? Or, can I handle a claim without legal help? Many individuals move forward without legal counsel to make an injury claim on their own. However, there are risks and burdens in taking that course of action.
Without an attorney, the personal injury claims process can consume a lot of your time and be very challenging to navigate. A personal injury lawyer can save time and increase your chances of obtaining a settlement that compensates you adequately for your losses.
If you are contemplating hiring an attorney to represent you in a personal injury claim, contact the Ohio personal injury lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick at 1-800-HURT-NOW. We can offer you advice on the next steps and negotiate vigorously on your behalf for any rightful compensation you are owed.
Hiring an attorney to handle your claim can save you from entering litigation., which is the trial phase and can present a risky scenario. There’s also a chance the jury verdict will not go your way. Personal injury attorneys have a unique understanding of the negotiation process and through their experience and skillful tactics, they can help you achieve a satisfactory settlement before a lawsuit ever becomes necessary. So the answer to the question: ‘Do I have to go to trial if I hire an attorney?’ is, in fact: Not if you are able to achieve a settlement that avoids the need for litigation.
If you decide to enter the litigation process on your own or with an attorney representing you, other requirements may consume your time, including the process of discovery, filling out additional paperwork, exchanging evidence, and attending conferences or hearings.
There are only two outcomes that will resolve your case:
The job of a personal injury attorney is to secure a fair settlement for your claim by negotiating with insurance companies and defense lawyers in an effective manner. Only if that effort fails will the attorney shift efforts toward representing your case in a court of law.
In the end, you as the plaintiff have the final say as to whether you accept a settlement offer or take your case to trial.
If you do take your case into litigation, an experienced personal injury lawyer can fight for you vigorously before a judge or trial jury. An attorney with an excellent track record of negotiating settlements and also winning trial cases for clients will have a keen sense of when litigation is preferable or when settling outside of court is to your advantage. An astute attorney can use the simple threat of litigation to your benefit in the negotiation process with insurance companies.
Quite often, settling out of court is in your best interest, since you can avert the risk and expense of a trial and still receive an outcome that is very favorable to you in the financial sense.
The experienced Ohio personal injury attorneys at KNR will work hard to give you the best settlement possible for your claim for compensation. If necessary, we will take your case to trial to help you recover what you are owed for your losses.
To schedule a free consultation, call our team at 1-800-HURT-NOW or contact us online today.