Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Being seriously hurt in an accident is extremely stressful. In addition to worrying about their physical recovery, accident victims are often left with mounting medical bills and emotional trauma. It’s important to seek compensation for those damages, but do accident victims really need to hire a personal injury lawyer to do that? It’s not legally required, but most accident victims greatly benefit from doing so.

Those who aren’t legally trained will find it difficult, if not impossible, to achieve a favorable outcome in a personal injury claim. Building a case, negotiating with the other side’s insurance company, and taking a case to court are time-consuming tasks that call for a dedicated professional. Most of the time, those who try to represent themselves quickly find that they are no match for the powerful lawyers employed by the other side’s insurance company.

It should also be said that your health is what matters most, so the most important thing you can do after an accident is to reduce stress and put all of your attention towards your recovery. You simply won’t be able to do that if you’re having to build and argue a case all by yourself.

When you hire a South Carolina personal injury lawyer, you’re hiring someone who has dedicated their entire career to helping victims just like you. If you’re not a lawyer yourself, you won’t be able to compete with the knowledge, experience, and confidence they bring to the table.

Here are some of many reasons why South Carolina accident victims choose to hire personal injury lawyers to represent them in their case:

Personal injury lawyers are excellent negotiators – When it comes to any type of legal dispute, negotiations are the name of the game. Attorneys are skilled negotiators, and they aren’t afraid to push back at insurance companies that will do everything they can to avoid paying out a fair sum.
Personal injury lawyers know the value of your case – Putting a value on a personal injury case can be complicated because there’s more to consider than the obvious economic damages. A qualified attorney will look at all of the economic and non-economic damages, as well as possible future medical expenses, and will refuse to settle for low-ball settlement offers from the insurance company.
Personal injury lawyers are excellent researchers – Personal injury claims involve a discovery period. This is when an attorney dives deep into research to uncover all the facts surrounding your case and collect witness statements, camera footage, and other pieces of evidence. They know what to look for, how to get it, and how it can help strengthen your case.
Personal injury lawyers level the playing field – The other side’s insurance company will have powerful lawyers working for them, so it makes sense for you to have an experienced attorney who can fight for you. Just as you wouldn’t expect to win a baseball game against a player for the New York Yankees, you shouldn’t expect to win a case against the other side’s experienced attorneys.
Personal injury lawyers do the legal legwork – There’s a lot of paperwork and red tape involved with filing a personal injury claim, and it can be overwhelming. Lawyers know the legal process like the back of their hand, and they will cut through the red tape, so you don’t have to worry.
Personal injury lawyers allow you to focus on getting better – When you don’t have to worry about the nitty-gritty details of filing a claim, you’re able to spend more time focusing on your recovery.
Personal injury lawyers can make sure you avoid pitfalls – A good personal injury lawyer will communicate with you every step of the way and be there to answer all of your questions. They will be able to advise you throughout the entire process, including how to conduct yourself on social media and in public to avoid giving the insurance company any reason to doubt the severity of your injuries. Their advice is highly valuable, as one misstep could easily hurt your case.
Personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis – Most South Carolina personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means you won’t pay anything unless they help secure money for you.
Personal injury lawyers are experienced in the courtroom – Most cases settle outside of court, but an experienced personal injury attorney will take your case in front of a jury if needed. A qualified attorney will prepare your case as though it will go to court so that they’re prepared if it does. When it comes time to go in front of a jury, you’ll want a qualified legal professional arguing your case.
Reputation matters – You only get one shot at your South Carolina personal injury case, so you shouldn’t “wing it” by representing yourself. An experienced lawyer will statistically be able to get you more compensation than you could get alone because they know how to deal with insurance companies.

Contact McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates today

McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates is a dedicated personal injury law firm with a stellar track record of helping personal injury victims receive the compensation they’re rightfully owed.

We work on all kinds of accident cases, including:

Our South Carolina personal injury lawyers understand the financial, emotional, and physical pain that accident victims go through, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to help.

We work extremely hard for our personal injury clients because we believe no one should have to pay for the consequences of an accident that wasn’t their fault. We have the legal experience needed to build strong cases, and we know when to consult with experts, accident reconstructionists, and others who can help strengthen our clients’ cases.

We treat our clients like family, and we communicate with them throughout their entire case. Our goal is to give every client peace of mind so they can focus on their recovery and start to rebuild their life.

Every case is different, but our clients are often awarded damages for the following:

Medical bills
Rehabilitation costs
Lost wages
Lost or diminished earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Disfigurement and scarring
Permanent disability

If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence or recklessness or lost a loved one in an accident, the other side needs to be held accountable. It’s just not fair for you to be left with insurmountable bills from an accident that you didn’t cause.

Give us a call so we can provide you with a free consultation and advise you on your next steps. There’s no obligation to hire us – but if you do hire us, you won’t owe anything unless we help secure money for you.

McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates has seven offices across the Midlands of South Carolina, in Aiken, Camden, Columbia, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Sumter, and we would love to speak with you today.

Give us a call at 888-353-5513. It won’t cost you anything to see if we can help.®