As Indiana personal injury lawyers, we are often contacted by individuals who have suffered injuries from various types of accidents. For some, the details regarding their claim are enough to build a solid case against the negligent party involved. Not all cases are alike, though, and some simply lack the details we’re looking for. Others don’t hold enough value to pursue.
If you’re seeking legal representation following an accident, below are some questions you should ask yourself when consulting with an attorney.
What caused your injury?
The cause of your accident or injury is a major factor in a personal injury claim. In order to have a viable case, another party must have been responsible for either causing your injury or contributing to the conditions that caused your injury.
If you were at fault for your own injury your case may be declined. In this case, there is no compensation to recover since there is no negligent party. For example, if a driver fell asleep at the wheel and veered off the road, he or she would not be able to recover compensation from an insurance company.
Even if you were partly at fault for your injury, depending on the percentage of contribution, any compensation you would be eligible for would be too small – thus not worth pursuing.
How severe is your injury?
In order to have a viable case, your injury must be debilitating in some way. If you sustained minor scrapes and bruises in an accident, yet you’re still able to function to your fullest capacity, you may not be eligible for compensation.
The purpose of recovering damages in a personal injury case is to cover the cost of medical expenses, lost wages, and additional suffering that compromises your ability to function in your personal life. If you sustained a minor injury that is likely to fully heal within a few days without treatment, your chances of recovering compensation is slim-to-none.
Did you already seek legal representation for your claim?
It’s nearly impossible for an attorney to provide a full value of your case before reviewing the details involving your accident and injury.
Determining how much compensation you’re eligible for takes time. This means examining your medical evaluation, the amount of time you will spend away from work, and what percentage of fault you contributed to your accident.
If it appears that you have previously shopped around for an attorney, your claim may be declined. If you were previously let go from another law firm for the same personal injury claim, your case may be too much of a liability to pursue.
How much time and money is involved in your case?
When reviewing the details of your claim, an attorney must weigh the amount of time and money spent building a case with the potential monetary award.
At Boughter Sinak, LLC, we offer a free case evaluation to determine the value of your claim. We also operate on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t owe us any money unless we win your case. If we win, we receive a percentage of your recovery.
From a business standpoint, we must determine whether or not a case is financially worth it, for our sake and yours. So, if you have sustained an injury in a traffic accident, work accident, premises accident that may result in a significant financial loss, contact our law firm to explore your legal options.