If you have ever stayed up late watching cable, you will have seen the commercials for personal injury claims that seem to be a feature of every ad break on late night and early morning TV. But most of us are lucky enough to have never been in a situation where we needed to make a personal injury claim. As a result, there are a lot of misconceptions about what personal injury claims are and how they are pursued.
The following misconceptions are the most common and most persistent and color the way that many people think about personal injury law and litigation.
Pursuing Claims is Expensive
This is one of the main reasons that people don’t pursue personal injury claims, even though they might be entitled to do so. Filing personal injury claims is not nearly as expensive as most people think. What’s more, many personal injury attorney operate on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis, meaning that you will only have to pay if you win compensation.
Personal Injury Claims Mean Litigation
The majority of personal injury claims are settled before they ever reach a courtroom, it is only in rare circumstances that you will have to actually go to court. This is another factor that deters a lot of people from pursuing the claims that they are entitled to. If you are put off making a personal injury claim because you are afraid of appearing in a courtroom, there’s no need to worry. Your personal injury attorney will be able to advise you what to expect.
Local Laws Matter
The laws and regulations that decide whether you have a valid personal injury claim will vary across the United States, so it is important that you take this into account before you get your hopes up about a claim. Again, your attorney will be able to advise you. Working with an attorney who works locally to the incident in question is often helpful because they will also have a knowledge of local by-laws and other regulations.
For example, if you have an accident while in Dallas, Texas, it makes sense to use a personal injury attorney Dallas TX, rather than one who has more experience elsewhere in the state.
The Claims are About Greed
If you are injured due to someone else’s negligence then you are entitled to compensation in most cases. Claiming compensation isn’t just about getting money. often it is also about receiving an acknowledgement of fault from the other party and making sure that no one else is injured in the same way.
For example, if you are hurt because you trip on a loose paving stone, filing a personal injury claim will force whoever is responsible for that pathway to sort the issue out.
If you are injured on public or private property and you think that someone else’s negligence might be to blame, you should contact a personal injury attorney. They will be able to tell you if you have a valid case or not and what you can expect from proceedings.