Do I Need a Lawyer?
Call First, Then Decide
Whether you decide to hire an attorney or not, talking about your case with personal injury attorneys Joe Gama or Richard Gama is FREE and there is NO OBLIGATION to hire them, so that should be the first step. Gama Law Firm is not going to promise something it can’t deliver, because our reputation is more important than a quick buck.
More Leverage in Negotiating a Settlement
Although you don’t need a lawyer to negotiate a personal injury settlement with an insurance company, having a lawyer involved greatly increases your chances of getting a larger settlement than if you tried to do it yourself. The biggest reason for this is because insurance companies know that a claimant with an attorney is much more likely to sue if they don't offer a fair value, compared to an unrepresented claimant who is not familiar with the legal system and is therefore much less likely to take them to court.
According to a 1999 study by the Insurance Research Council, insurance payouts are on average 3.5 times higher for clients represented by an attorney than for those without an attorney. Another study conducted by a popular online legal directory also found that personal injury victims who hired a lawyer walked away with an average of $77,600 in compensation compared to an average of $17,600 received by people who handled their own claim.
That’s a 76% boost in compensation for claimants who hire a personal injury lawyer, which more than makes up for any fee you would have to pay your attorney.
Attorneys Give You a Voice Against Insurance Companies
If an insurance company knows that you are not represented by an attorney, they may try to take advantage of you and try to get away with things that they wouldn’t get away with if an attorney was involved. For example, they may not tell you when they are recording you, or they may not offer you everything that you are legally entitled to. A personal injury attorney will make sure you are compensated for everything you are legally entitled to, which can include past and future pain and suffering, lost ability to earn income, lost quality of life, inconvenience, medical bills, and other losses.
Attorneys Do the Work You Just Don’t Have Time For
Another advantage of hiring an attorney is that the attorney can do the busy work necessary to investigate and support your claim while you focus on more important things, like healing from your injuries and getting back to work. After a serious injury, you may not have the time, or the ability, to talk to witnesses, order investigative reports, respond to insurance company letters and phone calls, manage and coordinate your medical billing, or put together a settlement package for the insurance company. Even if you have the time, you may simply not want to get involved in all this work. An attorney can take all of this off of your plate, which gives you less to worry about since that’s the last thing you need after a car accident or other personal injury.
When in doubt, just call us and we’ll explain how and if we can help. There’s no commitment to sign any contract with us and it’s free to speak with Aurora Colorado attorneys Joe Gama and Richard Gama. If you decide to hire us, there are no upfront costs and we only take a fee when we win.