Hiring an injury attorney might be worth the fees, especially if you suffer serious injuries and cannot work or you are disabled. Timing is everything in these cases, and knowing when to call an attorney is equally as important to knowing why you should hire one.
After a serious accident, if you find yourself asking if it is the right time to call an injury attorney, the answer is probably yes. Most personal injury attorneys (including me) have no up-front fees and offer free consultations (including me), which means there is no reason to wait – because you take no risk by talking to one.
In injury cases, time is of the essence. You are not only limited to a specific timeframe to file your lawsuit, but the longer you wait, the less likely your attorney will be able to collect the evidence necessary to prove your case and ensure you get maximum compensation.
When Do Most Injury Victims Contact an Attorney?
Most injury victims are not thinking of lawyers and lawsuits the day after their injury. Instead, they are thinking more about recovering from their injuries. Most will wait a few weeks or even months before they finally realize the true extent of their injuries – and their financial losses begin to hit.
You might notice medical bills are piling, up, you have gone through your savings, and you cannot afford your daily living expenses. Now you are out of work for good because of your injuries. If you have reached this stage and still haven’t called an attorney, you really should–immediately. There is NO reason for you to spend your own money for bills, etc.
You are not alone. Most injury victims will reach out to an attorney when they encounter one of the following:
- They finally realize they have serious injuries.
- They are frustrated from the tasks of filing insurance claims, paperwork, and trying to get money from the insurer.
- They start to experience the financial hardship of their accident.
When Is the Best Time to Call? Ideally, the Moment You Realize You Are Hurt
No one wants to make a big deal out of an accident.
In fact, the day of your accident you might feel fine. You may think that you are not even injured. However, you wake-up the day after in significant pain (this is very common), and then the pain gets worse.
As the pain continues to worsen and linger, it affects your daily life – from your quality of life to the financial aspects of it. Your injury is no longer something you will just shrug off, and it might take surgeries, physical therapy, and lengthy treatment. This doesn’t even include the emotional and mental trauma from the incident!
At this point, you not only need to worry about the medical treatment, but also your appointment with an attorney. Contacting an attorney at this early of a stage is best. This is because your attorney will be able to reach out to witnesses before they forget the accident, find police reports, get images from the scene, and work toward creating a solid case for compensation.
When the Financial Hardship Sets In, It Is Not Too Late to Call
Many accident victims try to shrug off the incident.
You will let insurance companies battle it out, and you will not start to stress until the financial hardship hits. This might take weeks for an injury or even months. Then, you start realizing insurance is no longer paying, you are no longer bringing in a paycheck, and you cannot afford to pay for anything anymore.
Most accidents result in thousands of dollars paid out of pocket – thousands that most victims do not have.
Just some of the expenses you will encounter while you recover from an accident include:
- Medical expenses – Medical expenses often carry deductibles, copays, and other out-of-pocket fees that add up quickly. You could spend thousands to tens of thousands on surgeries, hospitalizations, and physician appointments. Specialists also cost more to see, and you might exhaust your health insurance plan quickly over a single injury.
- Property damage – In the accident, you might have totaled your vehicle and lost personal property in the wreckage, too – like a computer, your smartphone, and other items. All of these come at the cost of your insurance deductible – but only at market value.
- Lost wages – At first, you might miss hours at work, but you are not worried. After all, you have sick leave and vacation pay saved up. However, once you exhaust those, you quickly realize that you no longer have money coming in and plenty of money going out. You might be severely injured and still need weeks or months off work. Worse, you might be disabled and unable to return to the same job – or any job for that matter.
Calling Now Is Better Than Waiting
While you might only realize you need a lawyer when the financial side hits, it is important that you call sooner rather than later – regardless of when you think it is the right time. Do not put off speaking with an attorney. An attorney can help you get through some of the biggest hurdles associated with injury cases, including:
- Evidence: You need to gather evidence, but you are recovering from your injuries. An attorney can help gather the necessary evidence to prove your case, including speaking with witnesses, finding video footage, police reports, and looking for dangerous conditions that might have created the incident.
- Deadlines: All injury claims face deadlines not only with insurance companies, but with the state as well. You are limited by the statute of limitations, which means you only have so long to file a claim before the court will automatically dismiss your case.
For a serious injury, you need an attorney who is ready to fight for your right to compensation. Contact attorney Jeffrey H. Penneys, Esq. today to get started. Jeffrey has represented personal injury clients throughout Pennsylvania, including Upper Darby, Allentown, Reading, and Harrisburg. You can schedule a free consultation with him online or by calling us today.