Should You Contact a Lawyer in Case of a Personal Injury?
An injury is never an easy thing to deal with. There’s pain, plus sometimes loss of employment (and therefore income) as well as the mental and emotional strain that comes from not being able to work and provide what you previously provided, but also the struggle of needing help from someone else to do basic tasks that you used to be able to do on your own.
Feeling a loss of independence, even if it was only for a short time, can hit hard.
All of these struggles can be magnified if someone else was at fault for your injury. Part of you is left wondering if you should consider legal proceedings. You’re not sure how much they owe you or if you could even put a number on your pain and mental suffering. Maybe someone has told you to contact a lawyer.
Or maybe everyone’s told you to keep quiet about everything. Regardless of your particular situation, the following will explore the factors you need to consider if you’re wondering about contacting an attorney regarding your personal injury.
Before Anything Else Seek Medical Attention
If you’ve been injured, before you begin thinking about lawyers or what you’re going to do about work, seek out a medical professional. Make sure to ask for a copy of your medical record from the visit just in case you want to contact a lawyer but take care of yourself first and foremost.
Beyond visiting a medical professional, make sure to bring up anything that feels different or wrong or sore, or unusual. Sometimes injuries can have delayed impacts, and you want to make sure that you are getting everything checked out. Injuries not treated can heal poorly or result in further damage. Seeking medical attention is non-negotiable.
If You Are Considering Legal Action, Contact An Attorney
If any part of you is considering taking legal action because of your injury, seek out an attorney. Many lawyers offer free consultations, so there’s no worry that you’re going to be stuck paying for something you decided you didn’t want or need. But if you plan on pursuing a legal course of action, you need to have a lawyer at your side.
The law is an incredibly complicated thing written in archaic jargon that sometimes seems specifically designed to confuse non-lawyers with no background in Latin. Attempting to file and deal with a legal proceeding without the guidance of someone with years of highly specialized study and experience can mean the difference between success and failure.
This Should Be Done Sooner Rather Than Later
Most states have regulations regarding how long after an injury, you’re allowed to pursue legal action. But beyond this, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the legal system has been put under a lot of strain, and there are longer than normal wait times for court dates and longer processing times. This is expected to continue well into next year.
But You Don’t Want Just Any Attorney
When choosing a lawyer to reach out to, you first want to make sure that you’re only considering lawyers who specialize in the type of law you’re dealing with. Even lawyers hire other lawyers when they’re dealing with a different type of law.
Look for someone who works specifically with personal injury cases. You might even be able to get a lawyer who specializes in a specific situation where your personal injury occurred (car accident injury, for example).
Beyond this, you want someone who works in the state where the case will be taking place (if you proceed with it). This is because the law and how the law is applied differs, sometimes drastically, between states. Even if the law is similar between the two states, more than likely different precedents have been set between them.
Furthermore, the more local the attorney, sometimes the better. Local lawyers are more likely to know and understand local judges. So, for example, if you were injured on premises belonging to someone else in Greeneville, Tennessee, you might search for a Greeneville premises liability attorney.
If you can’t find someone in Greeneville, then you’d widen your search area, but of course, you’d stay within Tennessee.
Stay Off Social Media
As a side note, if you’re considering pursuing legal action (even if you haven’t decided yet), steer clear of posting about your injury or really anything else on social media. Activity on social media platforms is really easy to spin and play with and use to hurt or help a case.
Because of this, it would be wise to stay off for a little while, at least until you’ve spoken to a lawyer, and they’ve advised you about it.
With the above information, you’re well on your way to deciding whether or not you need to speak to a lawyer about your injury. As with any legal advice offered online, it is always suggested that you speak to a professional about how this information applies to you and your situation in particular.
