Personal Injury Lawyer in Brooklyn Explains When to Get Help After a Car Accident or Slip and Fall Accident

If you have been injured by the actions or inactions of another person, business, or government entity, deciding whether you need a personal injury lawyer in Brooklyn, NY is an important consideration that should be properly evaluated.  Deciding that you do not need a personal injury lawyer to handle your claim could have serious financial and legal ramifications on you and your family.  This is especially true if you accept money from your insurance carrier and sign a release or another type of agreement, ultimately waiving your rights to pursue a claim if you have additional lost wages, medical bills, or injuries.  Therefore, even if you believe that you may be partially at fault for what happened or if you think you can handle the claim yourself, it is always better to ask an experienced personal injury lawyer for a case review.

Here at the O’Connor Law Firm, we offer those free case evaluations to victims and their families.  There is no cost to speak with our experienced team, and there is no obligation to sign papers or to sign up.  We are expert listeners and will learn about your accident, your injuries, and your expenses.  We will advise you on the law and what your rights to compensation may be.  If we accept your case, we will conduct a full investigation—paying the upfront costs and disbursements of your case which are only reimbursed if we recover compensation for you.  The same is true of our legal fees, which are only based on a percentage of what we recover for you and only paid after we receive it. 

If you are unsure whether you need a personal injury lawyer in Brooklyn, NY to help you with your case, call O’Connor Law to schedule your FREE consultation with our team.

Do I Need to Call a Lawyer to Handle My Bodily Injury Claim?

No, there is no requirement under New York law that you must have a lawyer handle your bodily injury claim.  However, trying to handle a personal injury claim is often guaranteeing yourself to receive less compensation than you deserve.  This is because of the following:

• Insurance adjusters have handled thousands of cases, giving them extensive experience handling injury cases
• Insurance companies send their adjusters to national and regional conferences that are often taught by leading defense lawyers on how to minimize, undervalue, trick, and deny otherwise valid claims
• Most adjusters are supported by a defense lawyer that is dissecting your claims and feeding law or arguments to the adjuster
• If you are seriously hurt, it may be difficult to focus on handling a claim (which is why you are out of work) and your injuries can make it that much more complicated to try to resolve your claim in your favor, and
• You are unaware of the law and what the “going rate” for settlements may be in your area, as well as what options to compensation that you may have (i.e., loss of consortium, punitive damages, etc.).

Therefore, while you do not need a lawyer to handle your case, it is often a very good idea to always have a lawyer to support you because you are likely to receive much less compensation if you try to settle your case without one.

Signs You Should Call a Lawyer for Your Accident

Initially, the truth is that not all accidents and injuries may need a lawyer.  For example, cases with minor injuries (like a sprain) or cases where there was only property damage, such as a bumper tap, may not need a lawyer’s help.  Other types of accidents, such as those at work, may qualify for workers’ compensation and may not allow for a lawsuit.  Other locations of accidents, such as those occurring in your home, may not qualify for compensation at all (i.e., fall on a spill in your kitchen).

However, there are many examples of when you should seek out a lawyer’s advice to schedule a consultation.  Some of these examples include the following:

• You have medical bills – anytime you seek medical treatment for your injuries, you should call a lawyer to evaluate your claim.
• You lost wages or days of work/you had to use sick or vacation time – when your injuries, doctor appointments, or the pain from the accident prevent you from working, you need to call a lawyer.
• You had to go to the hospital – if you went to the emergency room of Maimonides Medical Center, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, NYU Langone Health – Cobble Hill, New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, or any other healthcare provider in Brooklyn, you should seek a personal injury lawyer’s help.
• You need surgery or a medical procedure – anytime you need surgery, no matter how slight (such as an arthrocentesis or draining fluid from a joint), call a lawyer to evaluate your case.
• Your vehicle in a motor vehicle crash was totaled – when a vehicle is totaled, that means there was a significant force in an impact that destroyed your vehicle and could have caused injuries to you—even if you do not feel you have suffered any injuries yet. Always get your case evaluated by a personal injury lawyer if your vehicle was totaled.
• An insurance adjuster offered you money without you asking – whenever an insurance adjuster offers you money for your pain and suffering without you demanding any compensation, that is a sign that you may have a stronger case than you may believe.
• A child was injured – whether in a car accident, dog bite, or slip and fall, anytime a child is injured you should always seek help from a personal injury lawyer in Brooklyn.
• You were hurt at work by a third-party that was not a co-worker, your employer does not have workers’ compensation benefits, or your boss assigned you a task that was almost guaranteed to cause you serious or grave injuries – Although workers’ compensation benefits often bar lawsuits from injuries at work, there are certain and rare instances where you may be entitled to compensation against third parties or an employer. Ask a lawyer for help if you believe you may have been wronged at work by a third party or your employer.
• Any other circumstance that you feel uncomfortable with based on what happened or your injuries.

Were You Hurt in Brooklyn?  Call O’Connor Law Firm to Schedule a FREE Consultation

If you were injured in any type of accident, call our experienced personal injury lawyer in Brooklyn, NY at the O’Connor Law Firm to schedule a FREE consultation to learn what rights to compensation you may have.  We handle virtually any type of serious or catastrophic injury case, including slip and falls, car accidents, trucking wrecks, dog bites, or any other type of accident in New York.  Even if you believe you may have been at fault for your injuries, you may still be entitled to compensation under New York law.  Learn more by calling (718) 948-3500 or using our “Contact Us” box available here.