Imagine being injured in an accident by another person. Maybe you were hit at a red light and suffered severe lower-body injuries. If a negligent party caused the accident, you can recover compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. Many people in the United States find themselves in this situation every day, as millions of Americans visit an ER every year for accidental injuries.
If this happens to you and someone else caused the accident, you should consider legal action with an attorney’s help.
Personal injury attorneys dedicate their work to obtaining fair compensation for people injured in accidents caused by other parties. Hiring an attorney is often a smart choice after a severe accident with injuries.
A personal injury attorney understands how to prove negligence and negotiate for the best settlement. If necessary, the attorney can take the case to trial and try to convince a jury to compensate you for your losses.
Personal injury law is challenging; you should use care when hiring your attorney. Fortunately, there are proven ways to find the best personal injury attorneys so you can get the best case outcome.
Below, learn how to choose the best Omaha personal injury attorney for your case. If you have questions about your specific situation, talk to a personal injury lawyer today to learn if your case may result in compensation.
Why Do You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
You can technically settle your personal injury claim without an attorney. The insurance company might offer you a settlement, and you can accept it. This can be appropriate in a minor car accident with no injuries and a few hundred dollars of vehicle damage.
You should never take this path in cases involving injuries - especially serious injuries. You risk accepting much less than you need with little options for further financial support.
In many accidents, you may have thousands or more in medical bills and lost earnings from your injuries, as well as intangible losses like pain and suffering.
You are unlikely to know how much you deserve or how to prove your case to the insurance company. You also may not understand legal procedures or even where to begin.
An Omaha personal injury attorney knows personal injury laws in Nebraska, how to negotiate for the most money, and how to prove liability so you can receive full compensation.
Studies show that most personal injury victims receive more money in settlements and verdicts with attorneys than when they try to represent themselves.
Even though attorneys charge contingency fees to cover their services at the end of the case, most personal injury victims still walk away with more compensation with their attorney’s assistance, after they cover the legal fees.
Only Select a Dedicated Omaha Personal Injury Attorney
Some attorneys are jack-of-all-trades. They might handle personal injury, real estate, and estate cases. However, personal injury law is a challenging field, and a lawyer who focuses only on personal injury law will best serve your interests. Choose an attorney with years of experience in personal injury law, ideally in cases like yours.
If you were rear-ended in Omaha and broke vertebrae in your neck, look for a lawyer with a proven record of solid settlements and jury verdicts in rear-end accidents. You should not hire a product liability attorney for a car accident case.
Hire A Personal Injury Attorney With Resources
When hiring your personal injury attorney, you should consider the state of their practice? Is it an established practice with some important cases under its belt? Does the lawyer or the law firm have resources to prepare your personal injury case?
Cases with major injuries are expensive to prepare and may require hiring several experts to provide testimony. For example, in a major injury case, your lawyer may need to retain an accident reconstruction professional, vocational rehabilitation specialist, doctor, and economist.
An attorney just starting in personal injury law may lack the financial resources to handle these expenses. Ensure your lawyer has the practical ability to face big insurance companies and lawyers and come out on top.
Choose An Injury Attorney With Trial Experience
Most personal injury attorneys handle cases that end in settlement. Many lawyers in this field rarely go to trial. Because they lack court experience, they may encourage you to settle your case for less money than you truly deserve.
Insurance companies might know the record of the particular attorney you hired. If they don’t have a strong court record, they may assume that the attorney fears the courtroom and will take a smaller settlement.
You should seek an Omaha personal injury attorney with a strong record in the courtroom. When the insurance company faces a fierce courtroom litigator, they know that if they don’t offer a reasonable settlement, they can take a severe beating in court and wind up paying much more.
Hire a Lawyer Who Communicates Well
When you have serious injuries after an accident, you will likely have to work with your attorney for months, at minimum. Retain a lawyer who communicates well and will keep you updated on the case. They can keep you in the loop in major case developments so you aren’t stressed and wondering how the case is shaping up.
So, ask the attorney how they communicate with clients and how often they will update you. Whether the updates are on the phone, email, text, or in person, you should look for a lawyer who will communicate about the case with you regularly.
Select an Omaha Personal Injury Lawyer With a Clear Fee Structure
You should understand how you will be charged when you sign the paperwork. Attorneys are expensive and bill hundreds of dollars per hour in many specialties. Most personal injury attorneys charge by a contingency fee arrangement and do not charge per hour.
You pay a contingency fee at the end of the case if it resolves with a settlement or favorable jury verdict. The attorney only receives the contingency fee if they win your case.
Usually, personal injury lawyers charge a reasonable percentage of what you receive at the end of the case. They also may take ongoing legal expenses out of your settlement or award. If you don’t get compensation in the case, the attorney probably doesn’t get anything. That is why personal injury attorneys only take strong cases.
Different attorneys charge different fees, but make sure your attorney’s fees are clear in the agreement you sign. Review their pay structure when you have a free legal consultation with the lawyer.
Hire An Attorney With A Strong Reputation
A personal injury lawyer’s professionalism and reputation can majorly impact your case. You should research the attorney’s online ratings and testimonials to understand how they are regarded in the personal injury field in their community.
A well-regarded and professional lawyer should be attentive, responsive, and committed to providing the best representation during the personal injury claim process.
Ask About Settlements And The Litigation Process
Filing a personal injury lawsuit or claim is to receive fair compensation for pain and suffering, lost earnings, medical bills, and more. You should understand how the attorney will handle the settlement and litigation process.
Some questions you should ask about these subjects are:
- How long will the court case take? They probably cannot give a precise answer, but they should have extensive experience with injury claims with your kinds of injuries. They should know the court and judges involved in your civil claim and have some information about timelines.
- How long does it typically take to settle the case? Your attorney should also have experience with your area’s most common insurance companies. This should show them how long the settlement process can take.
- How likely is your personal injury case to go to court? Most injury victims need money; if the claim goes to court, how long it takes will be critical. You should know if the case takes three months to schedule and a month to proceed to a verdict.
- What factors will influence your case’s value? The personal injury attorney should have experience with accidents and injuries like yours. For instance, if you were hit by a car when you crossed the street without a crosswalk, your lawyer can answer how the case value can be affected by not being in a crosswalk when the accident unfolded.
- How much money can you get in a settlement? They can’t give an exact answer, but they can give you a range based on cases similar to yours.
The most qualified personal injury attorneys will not over-promise and will be frank about the settlement and litigation process. They also should openly discuss your odds of success and any potential weaknesses that can affect the outcome.
Personal Injury Attorneys to Avoid
You should now know how to find a quality personal injury attorney.
Now, let’s look at the type of attorneys to avoid:
- The Big Shot: You want a skilled lawyer, but many of the ‘star’ lawyer ads you see on TV are the ones who get the big settlements from huge corporations. You might be one of those plaintiffs, but probably not. Odds are that you will be assigned another attorney at that law firm. Or, the big shot attorney will have paralegals handle your case but still charge you a big contingency fee. You might be better off hiring an experienced, proven personal injury attorney who doesn’t show up every hour in TV commercials.
- The Multitasker: Some attorneys handle all types of cases, so they can take almost any plaintiff that walks in. You should avoid this type of lawyer. You want an attorney with extensive experience in personal injury law. The attorney should only take personal injury claims.
- The Random Lawyer: You should only take legal advice from an attorney you have retained who understands your case’s details. Talking to attorneys you have not hired about your case can lead to bad information. Information from a lawyer you haven’t hired is not much more valuable than random googling for legal advice.
Should You Take a Settlement or Go to Court?
When you hire a personal injury attorney in Omaha, there will likely be times when the liable party will present a settlement offer to compensate you for your losses. It is up to you to decide if you want to take the settlement, negotiate for more, or file a lawsuit and take the case to a jury.
The best decision depends on your degree of injury and financial need.
Most personal injury claims end with a settlement because doing so gives the injured person money faster than if the case goes to court. Many accident victims prefer taking a settlement so they can get money in their hands for their recovery.
On the other hand, if you have financial resources and can afford to take the time and risk of a trial, you may want to go to court. Remember: If you lose at trial, you will not receive compensation.
Your attorney will advise you about the proposed settlement amount and whether you can expect more with additional negotiations or at trial. The ultimate decision is yours, but lean on your attorney’s experience to guide you in this critical decision.
Contact An Omaha Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you suffered an injury in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you should not need to pay out of pocket for your losses. You can receive compensation in a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
The best way to maximize your compensation is to hire an Omaha personal injury lawyer. Your attorney understands what your case is worth and how to get the most for your injuries and damages.
Speak to a personal injury attorney today to get started on your road to financial justice.