First Name:

Last Name:

Telephone:

Email:

Address:

City:

State:

Zipcode:

Incident Details:

form base
Home » Consumer Information » Personal Injury

Self Representation

With a little knowledge of how the accident claims process works, good organization skills, and some patience, you may have the ability to pursue a personal injury claim without a personal injury attorney at your side. If this is feasible, you may find that you've accumulated much more money in the end than you would've had you been obligated to pay pricey lawyer fees.

Some types of cases that you may be able to face on your own include:

  • Automobile, motorcycle, or pedestrian accidents.
  • Slip and fall accidents.
  • In-home accidents.
  • Product liability.

Certainly, there are instances when hiring an attorney can be very advantageous, especially with cases where the plaintiff has been permanently disabled or is a victim of medical malpractice or toxic exposure. However, based on the next four statements, it may be a viable option to represent yourself.

The claims process is easy to understand.

In spite of what insurance companies and some lawyers say, negotiating a personal injury settlement with an insurance provider is not very difficult. The majority of claims only require a few simple letters and phone conversations with an insurance adjuster with no legal expertise. Therefore, having knowledge of legal jargon and other technicalities will not be necessary. Actually, the claimant's right to compensation is typically dependent upon the ability to recognize who was negligent and the severity of their injuries.

Compensation calculations are based on a structured system.

The amount an accident victim is awarded is never arbitrary; factors such as the type of accident, kind of injuries, and amount of medical costs determine the value of a claim. The amount an insurance provider is willing to dole out does not fluctuate too much, regardless of whether an attorney assists you with the claim.

The victim is most familiar with their case.

The claimant has more insight than anyone else involved in the legal process into how the accident occurred. They also are more informed as to what injuries they have sustained and how well they have been able to recuperate since. They two pieces of information are often the most important to understand when attempting to settle a personal injury claim.

You will save money without legal fees.

Aside from severe injury cases, an attorney normally can only finagle an additional 10 to 25 percent more compensation than you would otherwise obtain on your own. Taking a look from another perspective, an attorney may demand as much as 40 percent of your earnings as a fee. Beyond that, they might charge you for administrative services (e.g., copying documents), holding conference calls, etc. By doing some simple subtraction, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize how much more money you can walk away with by choosing to represent yourself.