Personal Injury Law

Play it Smart: Why Hiring a Lawyer for Your Accident Case Saves You Money

By Jim Reed

Insurance companies have a ploy they use to cut costs. They offer a small amount of money right away, hoping accident victims will sign away their rights to sue.

NEVER take an insurance check without first consulting an attorney. You need to make an informed decision about what is in your best interest.

Whom is it smarter to listen to - your attorney whose fee is derived from your settlement, or the insurance company, who is trying to pay you as little as possible?

There are three very important things you should consider if you are wondering if you NEED to hire a lawyer to handle your accident case.

1. PEOPLE REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY GET 300% MORE THAN UNREPRESENTED PEOPLE! A national study found that that injured persons who were represented by an attorney received 300% more than persons who settled their claims without a lawyer. Even after deducting the standard lawyers’ fee of 1/3, those claimants who hired representation netted twice as much as those who accepted an insurance company’s settlement.
2. If you think you might go to trial to seek a larger judgment, only an experienced attorney is qualified to assess the potential of your case. Though going to trial can take a long time, in many cases the return in the judgment in court is MUCH larger than the insurance company’s low-ball settlement offer. You have to weigh the “bird in the hand” settlement against the risk of going after a greater verdict. An accomplished lawyer can help you make this tough decision - based on their experience in handling similar cases.
3. The insurance company has attorneys to protect their profits - shouldn’t you have one to ensure you get a fair settlement? Every time one of my client’s tells me that the insurance adjuster told them that they didn’t “need” to hire an attorney, I tell them to ask the adjuster if the insurance company has their own attorneys?  If they honestly answer the question, “Yes, of course we have company attorneys”, then ask why is it that the insurance company needs their own attorney while they are recommending that you do NOT need YOUR OWN ATTORNEY?  That usually stops them dead in their tracks…

The personal injury attorneys at the Ziff Law Firm, (Carl Hayden, Jim Reed and Adam Gee) will consult with you to see if you need to have them represent you or not. Just call us at 1-800-ZIFFLAW or e-mail us at info@zifflaw.com and we will be happy to speak with you right away.

The bottom line: Yes, attorneys have fees, but in the long run, it could cost you a LOT more NOT to hire one.

Thanks for reading,

Jim
_________________________________________
James B. Reed, Esq.
New York Accident Lawyer
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William St., Elmira, NY 14902
Tel. (607) 733-8866 Fax. (607) 732-6062
Toll Free 1-800-943-3529
mailto:jreed@zifflaw.com http://www.zifflaw.com

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Full post as published by New York Injury Law Blog on March 30, 2009 (boomark / email).