Protecting Your Case: Our Personal Injury Lawyer in New York Explains When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Knowing when to hire a personal injury lawyer in New York is critical to protecting your rights to compensation. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that insurance adjusters and defense lawyers may try to trick you into admitting to evidence that could harm your case right from the outset of your claim. Other factors such as the destruction of evidence, tainted witnesses, or lost evidence and witnesses could also harm your claim. This is why individuals who suffer personal injuries in any type of motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, dog bite, construction accident, or any other type of injury-causing incident should call our experienced personal injury lawyer in New York to learn how to protect your rights to compensation.
Here at Keith D. Silverstein & Associates, P.C., our bodily injury law firm is dedicated to protecting the rights of victims and family members who are seriously injured or wrongfully killed in New York. We believe this starts not only during our representation of clients but also before—making sure the public and prospective clients know when to get help from a personal injury lawyer before their rights are attacked or foreclosed by greedy insurance companies or overreaching defense lawyers. Learn more about when to get a lawyer for your possible claim and, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation by dialing (646) 813-3922.
THE COMMON SCENARIO AFTER AN ACCIDENT
Most people are not sure when they should contact a personal injury lawyer in New York after an accident. Some people may even be hesitant to take that next step to speak with a lawyer. But you may have medical bills and lost wages after a motor vehicle accident, slip, and fall, dog bite, construction incident, or any other type of accident. Sometimes these unexpected bills can become difficult to pay, especially if you have serious or catastrophic injuries. Generally, this is when to hire a personal injury lawyer to get help. But just as you start to think about hiring a lawyer, an insurance adjuster may contact you with a check and ask you to sign some forms to “resolve” the claim, telling you that the money may go away if you don’t sign today or if you go get a lawyer.
And when you hear that, that is definitely when you should get a personal injury lawyer in New York.
This is a common scenario that happens all too often. After a personal injury accident, an insurance company or defense attorney may offer you what appears to be a fair-sized check and try to get you to sign forms to resolve your case—to settle your case and waive your right to litigation or further compensation. If you accept the check and do sign away, it is very difficult to reopen your claim.
WHEN SHOULD YOU GET A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER
Generally speaking, you should get a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can after you have suffered injuries:
- In a motor vehicle accident, even if you think you might be partially at fault or a loved one’s fault (if you were a passenger)
- On the property of another when you are hurt, even if you think it was your fault
- After any construction accident, whether as a worker or a member of the public
- After an unexpected medical outcome
- In any dog bite case, even if you think you reached out to pet the animal or accidentally stepped on the dog’s paw or tail
- Anytime a vehicle hits you as a pedestrian or bicyclist, and
- Any other times you are injured and think that another person, business, or government entity may be at fault – for your injuries.
That means, in most instances, you should contact a personal injury lawyer before you contact even your insurance company or carrier.
WHY SHOULD YOU CONTACT A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER BEFORE YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER
Although you need to give notice to your insurance carrier sometimes only days after an accident, it is best that you always contact a personal injury lawyer first before you do so—especially if you or a loved one were seriously injured. This is because, as soon as you contact an insurance carrier, they will immediately begin to minimize your injuries and maximize your comparative fault, sometimes using unfair tricks to get you to admit facts that may not be true to hurt your case.
This is what insurance adjusters are trained to do, and they are sometimes trained by defense lawyers at national and regional conferences. Adjusters may also have a “silent” defense lawyer helping them review your claim and feeding the adjuster law and facts about injuries. This means that insurance adjusters are not only well-trained, but also that it is not a level playing field with you (a non-lawyer) speaking with the adjuster (someone you may think is a non-lawyer, but there is a lawyer helping him or her).
Practical Reasons for Hiring a Lawyer Right Away
In addition to issues with insurance adjusters, there are many practical reasons for hiring a lawyer right away. These reasons can help support your claim, both as it relates to evidence but also damages. Some common reasons include:
- In trucking accidents, there is a “black box” known as an electronic control module (ECM) that you will want to immediately obtain the information on after police and federal inspectors release the vehicle. This data is fragile and can easily be deleted—either accidentally or intentionally. Having a personal injury lawyer on your side to obtain this information right away can prove useful in protecting your claim and establishing liability.
- In slip and fall or trip and fall cases, getting pictures or videos from an investigator of the premises or hazardous condition you fell over can be very important before a defendant repairs it. This is true in snow and ice cases, but also other defects like broken stairs, inadequate lighting, and other hazards.
- In dog bite or animal attack cases, it is important to quickly identify the owner and the dog before the animal is either rehomed, given to a family member out of the area, or otherwise hidden.
- Identifying and speaking with witnesses before they leave the area or forget, decline to testify, or speak with the defense lawyer who may cause him or her to change his or her story.
- In all cases, to obtain surveillance videos from homeowners, stores, offices, and other places that may have their videos re-written on a loop every 7, 10, 14, 30, 60, or other intervals of days. Obtaining these videos right away can help preserve your claim, and
- For other practical reasons to help prove liability or damages with your case.
UNSURE WHEN TO SPEAK WITH A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER IN NEW YORK? THE BEST TIME IS NOW
After any type of serious accident, the best time when to hire a personal injury lawyer in New York is now. If you or a loved one were seriously injured in any type of injury-causing accident or incident, learn more about how our personal injury lawyers can help you protect your rights to compensation by dialing (646) 813-3922 or by sending us a private message on our “contact us” page available here. Our bodily injury law firm in New York City offers a no-win, no-fee guarantee, meaning we only get paid after you get paid in a verdict, settlement, award, or another recovery.
