When Is an Injury Serious Enough to Hire a Lawyer?

If another party causes a personal injury to you or a loved one, you may wonder whether you have grounds for a lawsuit against them. When you sustain injuries and economic damages due to the actions of another party, there is no reason you should have to bear the resulting costs. A personal injury claim is generally the best option for financial recovery in these situations, but some injured people may wonder whether it is worth the trouble to take legal action if they only sustained minor injuries.

Fully Assess Your Damages

Some injuries seem mild at first only for them to lead to secondary medical complications or worsen over time. It is also possible for a person to suffer injuries in an accident that do not cause immediate pain or noticeable symptoms. In these situations, it can take several days or even weeks before the victim realizes something is wrong.

It is crucial to seek medical treatment immediately after any accident. Your physician can assess your injuries and check for signs of underlying issues that may not be immediately noticeable. If you are considering taking legal action in any way after a personal injury, the medical report from your physician will be essential in your lawsuit for recovery.

Weigh the Cost of Your Lawsuit Against the Potential Recovery

Your injuries may only be mild, but the other damages resulting from a personal injury could be substantially more, leading to significant economic losses. Some people assume that the cost of legal representation is too high to warrant legal action for relatively small claims. Many personal injury attorneys offer contingency fee billing to provide legal representation to those who need it regardless of their ability to pay. With a contingency fee, the attorney only collects legal fees if he or she wins the case for the client, and those fees are a percentage of the client’s settlement or case award.

Consider taking advantage of a free consultation offer with a local personal injury attorney if you are unsure whether you should bother pursuing a lawsuit. The attorney will review the details of your claim and assess your damages, potentially revealing other avenues of compensation you may not have yet considered. Once the attorney has a firm understanding of your situation, he or she will advise you as to whether it would be in your best interests to take legal action. If the cost of pursuing your lawsuit would be too high or your damages are minimal, the attorney may recommend an alternative route to recovery.

Damages and Compensation for Personal Injury Claims

If your attorney recommends a lawsuit, he or she may know of types of compensation you had not considered. Several types of damages are available in a typical personal injury claim.

• Medical expenses for the victim’s immediate and future treatment costs.
• Lost income for time spent out of work following an injury.
• Property damages for repair and replacement of the victim’s personal property involved in the claim.
• Pain and suffering compensation for physical pain, emotional anguish, and mental suffering.
• Punitive damages in rare cases when a defendant’s behavior exceeded the scope of typical negligence.

Ultimately, the total cost of your damages and the potential value of your lawsuit are the most important factors in deciding whether to take legal action for a personal injury. It is essential to seek medical care after any personal injury caused by another party’s negligence, even if it only seems mild at first. Your physician can help you understand the full extent of your injuries, and you may qualify for more compensation than you initially expected.