If you have a been in a severe accident which resulted in some serious injuries, it’s better to consult or hire a lawyer as soon as you can. This is important because this will help your lawyer to quickly gather evidence as well as preserve any information that will be helpful later when you file a case. Along with the accident investigation team, your personal injury lawyer can quickly take note of important evidence before it is lost or no longer available.
It’s ideal to have a lawyer involved sooner rather than later because it gives her an opportunity to get in touch with the witnesses and have a look at the present evidence, as well as using all of this information to build a strong foundation for your personal injury claim.
A lawyer that has been involved immediately after the injury would be investigating the case while you are still receiving the medical treatment. This helps the injured person to rather recover in peace without worrying about the accident claim you have to make.
Cost of not getting in touch with a lawyer soon
It’s been observed that accident victims sometimes shy away from hiring an attorney soon after the accident. One reason they have in mind is that they will not be afford a lawyer’s fees. It’s a rather common notion that to win a personal injury claim you need to have a lot of money to pay for the hourly rates of a lawyer.
That’s not true, however. Typically, personal injury attorneys work on a contingent fees basis. Or, in simpler words, their fee is paid once the judgment or settlement is made for their client. So you really do not have to pay anything to the personal injury lawyer you hired unless you win the case and get a settlement.
This knowledge will help those individuals worried about the cost to understand that even with limited financial means they can still hire a personal injury lawyer after a severe accident. This also means they can hire any accident attorney they feel is best qualified to make the claim on their behalf; the lawyer only has to agree to take the case as well.
The statute of limitations–which establishes the amount of time in which a claimant is able to file a lawsuit–in the state of New York is three years from the actual date of the accident (personal injury) but only two years in California. For this reason, it is important that you contact a personal injury attorney who is experienced in handling personal injury lawsuits and obtaining personal injury damages.
The sooner you consult with a lawyer about your legal matter, the better the chances of your lawyer being able to preserve evidence and contact necessary witnesses. The longer you wait to hire an attorney, the more difficult it may be to achieve the best possible outcome for your personal injury claim.