Why You Need an Injury Lawyer

Staten Island Accident Recovery Attorney

After an injury, most people just want to get back to their day-to-day lives as soon as possible. However, insurance companies work aggressively to protect their profits, and that means paying you as little as possible. While it’s tempting to try to handle your Staten Island injury claim on your own, it is typically very difficult for an injury victim to get a fair settlement without a lawyer on your side. Here are just a few of the reasons people who work with an injury attorney tend to have better outcomes after an injury:

Injuries do Not Come with Price Tags

The basic transaction that is happening when an injured person makes a claim against an insurance company is that the insurance company is paying for the damage that was caused by your injury. How the price of the injury is calculated is where things get complicated.

To get a settlement that completely compensates you for your injury, you need to understand the full scope of the consequences of your injury. For instance, there are some injuries that never fully heal; if it’s determined that you will have some level of disability for the rest of your life, you should be compensated for that loss. There are also injuries which require years, or an entire lifetime, of follow-up treatments. The price for these treatments can be complicated to calculate and they are often disputed by the insurance companies. Having an injury lawyer on your side ensures that your injuries, the loss you suffered and the treatment it will take to work towards rehabilitation are correctly calculated and paid in full, or to the policy limit, by the insurance companies.

Insurance Companies are not your friends

Just about every time you turn on the TV, you are likely to see a message from an insurance company. They make cute little mascots and funny scenes to make them seem friendly, helpful and looking out for your best interest. However, when you are hurt and need to file a claim for your injuries, you will find that friendly mascots and actors are nowhere to be found. Instead, you are facing an insurance adjuster who is tasked with getting you to settle as quickly, and for as little, as possible. Insurance companies have been known to blame previous injuries, question medical records and even accuse injured people of lying in an effort to pay out less on injury claims.

The Insurance Company May Offer You a Check

If the insurance company is offering you a check, they are also asking for something else in exchange; you are releasing them from all future responsibility around your injury claim. This means that any future expenses like a follow-up medical appointment, or additional days missed from work, will not be covered. Once they cut that check, you will likely not have another chance at recovering another dollar. That’s why it’s important that you talk to a lawyer before accepting any checks, signing anything, or even speaking with representatives from the insurance company.

Evaluate – Negotiate – Litigate

maze – meant to signify that you don’t know what to do about your injury claim
When you work with Staten Island injury lawyer Brian O’Connor to settle your injury claim, he will help you through every step of the process towards the best possible outcome.

• Evaluate – The recovery process starts by simply evaluating your injuries. That typically will involve a medical examination by a doctor who is NOT associated with the insurance company. That allows us to get a fair assessment of the severity of the injury and the expected recovery.
• Negotiate – Once we have a complete estimate of your damages, we will make a request to the insurance company for the amount. This is usually a process with some back-and-forth. Having the experience to know what to expect can make a big difference
• Litigate – Only a very small percentage of injury claims actually make it to court. Usually they are settled before any litigation is needed. However, showing the insurance companies that you are prepared to go to trial is a key element of getting them to settle for the best amount possible.

Do You Have a Case? Start with a Free Consultation

Laying out general information about how your unique case will be handled is difficult. That is why I provide a free initial consultation either over the phone, or in one of my two offices in Staten Island and Manhattan. Call or email me today to arrange a time for us to meet. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you on the road to recovery.