The aftermath of an accident is often confusing, frustrating and stressful, not to mention painful if you sustained injuries. Police officers, insurance company investigators and medical personnel ask endless questions, preventing you from focusing on recovery. Meanwhile, bills begin to pile up, although you may be unable to work due to your injuries.
If someone else caused the accident, you can seek compensation for your injuries. Friends and family may suggest hiring a personal injury lawyer, but do you know how they can help? Cellino Law explains.
What Is a Personal Injury Case?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, injuries prompt almost 40 million emergency room visits in the U.S. annually, but not all of these people have a personal injury case. To qualify, another person or entity must be responsible for causing your injuries. Many kinds of accidents and situations produce these injuries, such as:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Slip and fall
- Dog bites
- Construction or workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
Defective products may also cause injuries. Eligible wounded accident victims can file insurance claims seeking compensation through a personal injury case, but insurance companies typically don’t treat these claimants fairly.
What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?
Protecting your rights and advocating for your best interests are the most critical functions of a personal injury lawyer. We accomplish those tasks in many ways.
Provide Information and Legal Advice
Most people are unfamiliar with how to handle insurance claims successfully and all the tasks you must complete in the days and weeks following an accident. Insurance company representatives may try to trick you into accepting an unreasonably low settlement offer.
Cellino Law’s personal injury attorneys have handled countless cases successfully, so we have first-hand knowledge that we use to benefit our clients. We can inform you of:
- Your legal options
- Necessary paperwork, steps to take and deadlines
- Do’s and don’ts to follow after your accident
- Potential issues with your case and possible solutions
Cellino Law offers free case evaluations. After reviewing your accident and injury information, we will tell you more about how we can help.
Handle Administrative Tasks
Accidents, injuries and related claims involve mountains of paperwork. Your legal team completes the required forms correctly and submits them before applicable deadlines.
Serve as Your Spokesperson
As soon as you hire an attorney, you won’t have to worry about insurance company representatives, hospital administrators, HR departments or other interested parties bothering you anymore. We can insist that all communications go through us, which benefits you in many ways, such as:
- You can recover in relative peace while your legal team fields questions on your behalf.
- You won’t inadvertently say something that damages your case.
- You won’t sign any binding documents before we review them.
The intimidation techniques these parties often use won’t work on your attorney. We know the local laws, insurance regulations and how much your case is worth, and we won’t let anyone take advantage of you.
Accurately Assess Your Case’s Monetary Value
Depending on individual circumstances, you may qualify for many types of compensation. Insurance companies typically don’t offer payments to cover all your expenses, let alone compensate for things like pain and suffering.
An experienced attorney knows how much compensation you should obtain and will fight on your behalf to see that you receive it.
Investigate Your Accident
Most personal injury claims require proof of someone else’s negligence. Your lawyer will thoroughly investigate how and why your accident happened, gathering the evidence necessary to prove fault. We may:
- Obtain copies of all official reports, including police and medical
- Interview witnesses and other parties involved
- Search for video surveillance footage that captured your accident
- Examine accident scenes and photos
- Look into the at-fault party’s actions prior to your accident, searching for evidence of intoxication, hands-on cell phone use and other negligent actions or behaviors
Although some injured victims share the blame for causing accidents, assigning fault fairly is crucial because your set percentage of fault reduces the monetary compensation amounts you might receive. Your attorney will ensure that you don’t shoulder unfair blame.
Negotiate With Insurance Companies
Insurance companies usually volunteer to pay only minimal amounts that are much less than what you deserve. Their tactics and strategies rely on claimants not knowing their rights. You don’t have to accept an initial offer; you can negotiate for a higher settlement.
Insurance companies employ teams of lawyers with years of experience in attempting to shortchange injured accident victims. Fortunately for you, Cellino Law’s attorneys have razor-sharp negotiation skills, and we won’t accept lowball offers.
Take Your Case to Court
Most personal injury attorneys prefer to settle cases without going to court. However, sometimes a trial is necessary. Your attorney will advise you to file a civil lawsuit if insurance companies won’t cooperate and then handle the proceedings.
Can You Afford To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
For the uninitiated, handling personal injury claims alone is similar to navigating a minefield with blinders on. Seemingly simple actions, statements or omissions can damage your claim and reduce your settlement amount.
Most injury law firms, including Cellino Law, operate on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t pay upfront fees; your attorney takes a percentage of your monetary awards after winning your case.
A competent personal injury attorney can guide you throughout your claims process, helping you avoid potential pitfalls and significantly increasing your chances of receiving maximum compensation. Can you afford not to hire an attorney?
How Can You Choose a Personal Injury Attorney?
Many personal injury firms call New York home, giving you multiple choices. Unfortunately, not every firm can best serve you. You can ask family and friends for references and search online attorney reviews or client testimonials to compile a list of law firms to interview.
When you’re comparing lawyers, consider several factors, such as:
- Have they handled cases similar to yours? What were the results?
- Do they have litigation experience, or do they hire others to oversee trials?
- What is their fee structure?
- How often will you receive case updates, and what is their preferred method of communication?
- Do they have the experience and resources to conduct investigations, arrange for expert medical evaluations, hire expert witnesses and pursue all eventualities?
Your legal team will serve you throughout your claim process, so don’t underestimate the importance of finding a competent attorney with a compatible personality. Speak to office staff as well to assess your comfort levels.
Why Should You Hire Cellino Law?
A Cellino Law firm has served New Yorkers since 1958, winning billions of dollars for our clients. Although we are a large firm with multiple offices, you will get the personal attention you deserve. Our focus on personal injury cases means we know how to overcome obstacles and maximize your monetary awards. Best of all, you won’t pay fees unless we win compensation for you.
Contact Cellino Law today to request your free case review. After assessing your claim, we can tell you how much it’s worth and how we can help. We are available 24/7, so call us at (888) 888-8888, use live chat or submit our online contact form. The faster you contact us, the sooner we can get to work protecting your rights.