When South Florida residents talk to the legal team at Flaxman Law Group, it’s usually because of a workplace accident, slip and fall, truck accident, or other serious incident that has led to injury. Many people who come to see us are worried about their costs after an injury and some wonder whether it makes sense to try to file a claim on their own.
Honestly, there are many things an attorney can do that you simply can’t easily navigate on your own, including:
1) Navigating the Legal Process
In Florida, the law protects you but it’s also complex. Personal injury attorneys spend years learning legal processes, so they know how and where to file a claim, how to ensure they meet all deadlines, and more. They make sure the paperwork is filed correctly, defendants are served properly, and more.
When you try to navigate the process on your own, you can miss important details that can mean you lose your case. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney means working with someone who will make sure this doesn’t happen.
2) Investigating the Cause of the Accident
Personal injury lawyers in South Florida are used to investigating the causes of an injury. They have networks of trusted and vetted private investigators, expert witnesses, accident reconstruction experts, and other professionals they can call on to find out what really happened. Attorney scan also subpoena records and interview witnesses to secure evidence about what happened.
While you can hire investigators on your own, the cost is prohibitive. It can also be challenging to know how to hire the right experts if you’ve never worked with investigators before. The process of subpoenaing records to gain access to information is also complicated if you try it on your own. Attorneys handle all of this for you and ensure the evidence they gather is strong enough to support your claim.
3) Building Your Case
If you do need to file a lawsuit, you will need to gather all possible evidence, identify all possible liable parties, and file the lawsuit. Doing this on your own can be challenging, because it can be difficult to tell whether any government agencies, product manufacturers, property owners, or other liable parties. In addition, determining the appropriate court, filing a formal complaint, and outlining your claims is complex.
Attorney are trained to do all of this in compliance with all relevant laws. They’ll make sure the defendants are properly served with documents and will engage in the discovery process to exchange evidence and information with all parties in the case.
4) Negotiating
One reason many injured individuals turn to attorneys is because they need help with negotiations. A personal injury lawyer can negotiate with your insurance company and the defendants’ insurers, seeking a fair settlement. Most laypeople simply don’t have the negotiation training and experience attorneys have, so it’s more likely you will get a beneficial outcome if your attorney negotiates for you.
And if a settlement can’t be reached, your attorney can prepare for trial and can present your case before a judge or jury.
Quite simply, personal injury lawyers in South Florida have the experience and training to tackle a complex claim. Whether you’ve been injured in a workplace accident, on a boat tour, or anywhere else, you don’t want to tackle the claim yourself if you don’t have a strong legal background.
At Flaxman Law Group, our family-based legal team understands that you may not have worked with attorneys before. That’s why we make it easy to consult with us. Just call our team at 866-352-9626 to schedule a free consultation with an accident attorney. We’ll answer your questions, explain whether you have a claim, and outline what we can do to get you a fair settlement if you qualify for compensation.