If you have suffered an accident, chances are you will have some sort of recovery process to endure. Depending on the severity of the accident, injuries can range. For some, an injury can be so severe that it changes the life that you once knew. This is not only emotional, but can be incredibly painful, as well. As a result, you may choose to pursue a personal injury claim to collect damages. It can be tempting to represent yourself throughout the legal process. This form of representation is referred to as “pro se.” This process can quickly become convoluted and complex.
The Temptation of Representing Yourself
It can be tempting when considering whether you should represent yourself in your personal injury claim, to forgo the costs and headache of finding and retaining counsel. However, while this may seem like a good idea at first, you may find fairly quickly that you are in over your head. The primary reason victims of accidents choose to forgo an attorney’s services is to save money on attorney fees, however, this cost reduction consideration is not always the most financial prudent. There are a number of downfalls to this:
- You put yourself at risk of damaging your case or claim. Insurance adjusters will be looking for you to take some sort of fault, which could have an impact on the compensation you ultimately receive. You could make things worse and, in the end you may find that you need an attorney despite the trouble you went through.
- You will be negotiating with attorneys who are representing the insurance company or other defendant. They are well versed in negotiating settlements. It may make sense to have a lawyer provide you with the legal representation you deserve.
- In the event that your claim or case goes to court, you risk a longer more drawn out lawsuit than if you were to hire an attorney.
- You could get lost in the complexities of the process and even be taken advantage of by the opposing counsel.
- A personal injury claim can get complicated quickly, you may find that a personal injury case is more than you can handle.
- You put yourself at risk of losing a claim or case that could have led to a big payout if you had hired an attorney.
The reality is that in most situations, hiring a lawyer to represent you in your personal injury is in your best interest. The likelihood of obtaining a larger settlement in your favor is often higher when you retain the services of an attorney. Why risk putting yourself through the unnecessary stress of representing yourself in a process that requires a lawyer’s assistance?
Although hiring attorneys often comes at some expense to you, most lawyer’s operate on a contingency fee in personal injury cases — i.e. they do not collect any money from you unless your case is won or settled. You will find that this gives an incentive for a lawyer to obtain a positive outcome in your favor.
Contact a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer relies on, today for more information