Anyone who has experienced being injured by someone else’s negligence knows the only way to fully recover is to hire an attorney. Most of the time, without an attorney, the responsible party won’t do the right thing. For example, if someone slips and falls inside of a business, the business is less likely to compensate the injured party without a court order.
A business might offer a small amount of money under the table, but in that case, it’s almost never enough to cover everything. It also won’t include compensation for non-economic losses, like pain and suffering, among others.
In Texas, it’s absolutely critical to hire a reputable personal injury attorney to get fully compensated. For instance, the Vecchio Injury Law Firm in Plano continually gets results for clients that include compensation beyond just medical bills. For example, you’ll need an attorney to recover the following damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Impairment
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages
While not all of these damages will be awarded in every situation, if any apply to your situation, it will be nearly impossible to get what you’re owed without an attorney.
Why you need an attorney for a personal injury lawsuit
You might think it’s possible to sue the person or company at fault for your injury and win your case without a lawyer. While it’s certainly possible to win your case without legal counsel, you still don’t stand a chance at getting the maximum amount of compensation.
A personal injury lawsuit involves more than proving to a judge or jury that you’ve been injured. You’ll have to fight for every dollar you ask for in your claim. Without a lawyer, you probably won’t know what your case is worth and you could end up either undervaluing your case or asking for far too much.
When it comes to awarding monetary damages, you won’t just get compensated automatically even when you can prove your injuries were the other entity’s fault. You’ll have to make your case and negotiate for the settlement amount.
Negotiating a settlement is difficult without an attorney
You might decide to negotiate a settlement to avoid going to trial. This is a smart move, but not without a lawyer. The other party’s attorney will lowball every offer and you’ll need some fierce negotiating skills to win. Not only that, you’ll need to know how to negotiate personal injury settlements specifically, which isn’t something you can learn on YouTube.
Personal injury attorneys spend years and even decades mastering the art of negotiation and they know exactly what to expect from the other attorney. If you try to win your case without a lawyer, you won’t know what to expect and you won’t know a good offer when you get one. You also won’t know when you’re pushing the limits of negotiating with the other party’s attorney.
When negotiating, you might come across as argumentative, and it’s common for attorneys to withdraw a settlement offer when they get tired of arguing with someone.
You need to know Texas laws to win your case
As with any legal matter, you’ll need to have a good understanding of the law to win your case. No matter how badly you’ve been injured, you’ll have to prove your case. You can’t prove your case if you don’t know the law. It takes more than just showing up to court with medical records to prove the other party is responsible for your injury.
As if it’s not nerve-wracking enough just to be in court, Texas’ shared fault rules can make proving your case even more difficult and frustrating. For example, if your actions partially contributed to your accident, that will affect the amount of compensation you’re entitled to receive. This is called comparative negligence, and under this rule, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage you’re found at fault. For example, if your actions are found to be 40% responsible for your injury, your total compensation will be reduced by 40%.
If you don’t have a lawyer, you won’t know how to negotiate your fault percentage if it’s brought up in court. An attorney, on the other hand, will have the experience required to know if your fault percentage is fair, and if not, they’ll argue for a lower percentage.
Don’t represent yourself in a Texas personal injury case
No matter how confident you are about self-representation, don’t go to court without a personal injury lawyer in Texas. Simply knowing laws and statutes won’t help you win your case. You need experience in the courtroom, and that’s something only an attorney can provide.