A car accident can be a very stressful and frightening event, and often involves serious injury. In addition to dealing with aggressive insurance companies and other parties involved in the accident, you may need to take off work to go to medical appointments and to heal from your injuries.
If you feel that you were injured because of another person’s negligence, that is when you may want to consider hiring a personal injury attorney in Portland Oregon.
A personal injury attorney Lake Oswego, such as The Herron Law Firm, can be helpful in navigating the accident settlement process and can help if you need to take your claim to court.
What Is a Personal Injury Attorney and Why Do I Need One?
A personal injury is just what it sounds like. It is an injury sustained by a person in a car or other type of accident. In many cases, the injury is only physical, but in other cases it can be emotional or mental. It also can include injuries to your property, such as a car.
In a personal injury case, the injury is caused by someone other than you, the victim. This causation obligates the negligent party to compensate you for losses that are associated with your injury. To establish causation, a personal injury attorney Portland Oregon will offer evidence and reasoning to the insurance company or court that:
- The other driver had a duty to the victim
- The other driver violated or failed to fulfill that duty
- The victim was injured
- The injury was caused by the breach of the other driver’s duty
Gathering the information and evidence needed to build a strong personal injury case is why it is a good idea to hire a personal injury attorney to handle your case for you. This is especially the case if the injury involves thousands of dollars of medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
How Can I Find Out What My Case Is Worth?
Determining how much a personal injury case is worth upfront is challenging at best. Every case is different. Every injury is different. If you try to input everything into one of those online personal injury calculators, you could end up with a misleading figure.
That said, you can get an idea of what your economic damages are in a personal injury case by simply adding up all your fixed costs since the accident, including your medical bills and lost work time. Once you have that amount, you know you will be seeking at least that much in a claim or lawsuit. But that figure does not account for your pain and suffering.
The only way to get a fair idea what your pain and suffering is worth in your accident is to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney.
What Will a Personal Injury Attorney Cost Me?
After a car accident, many people will choose to make a quick settlement with the insurance company instead of filing a claim. They think they can avoid the expenses of working with an attorney.
But working with a personal injury attorney usually increases the chance of more compensation when compared to representing yourself in an accident claim. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means the lawyer will not receive payment unless the case ends in a settlement or a successful verdict. Contingency fees can range from 25% to 40% of whatever you are awarded, depending on when the case is resolved.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today
Have you been hurt in an accident and are unsure what legal steps to take next? Talk to The Herron Law Firm, an experienced personal injury attorney in Portland Oregon today. They offer a free consultation and can determine if you have a strong personal injury claim.