Have you been involved in an accident and believe that someone else is at fault? If you are thinking about hiring an attorney, it typically involves no out-of-pocket cost to call and ask for a consultation. At 1Law, we provide our potential clients with a free case evaluation to help them understand their legal options.
The sooner you hire a lawyer, the better off your prospects for collecting compensation will be. Memories can fade, evidence can be lost, and witnesses can move away or change phone numbers. These can affect the amount and quality of evidence an attorney can present to prove your case.
Our Provo personal injury lawyers take the burden off of personal injury victims by handling all contacts involving the opposing counsel and insurance companies. And we will fight aggressively to secure full compensation.
Personal injury claims involve any number of injuries that can include being injured on someone else’s property, car accidents, or being hurt by a defective drug or product. The most common personal injury claims are:
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is meant to give you an idea of the types of claims cited in personal injury cases.
If you are considering involving a lawyer in your personal injury case in Provo, you might be wondering if there is a “right” time to do it, or if you need an attorney to help you at all. Here are
some indicators that it is time to contact a lawyer:
If your injuries were caused by a business or occurred on the property of a business, you will face obstacles and potentially a squadron of attorneys who want only to preserve the bottom line of their business. A Provo personal injury attorney provides a valuable aid in dealing with the opposing counsel.
You have four years to file most personal injury claims according to Utah Code § 78B-2-307, or two years from the date of the discovery of the cause of injury in cases involving things like defective drugs or a bus accident. The statute of limitations involving property loss is only three years in Utah.
This clock begins ticking in most cases on the day of the injury. There are exceptions to every rule and statutes of limitation can be confusing, so consulting with an attorney as soon as possible is usually the best course of action to preserve your right to a legal claim.
The insurance company is a business. Their business is to preserve their bottom line and would prefer to pay as little out of pocket as possible, including avoiding paying your claim altogether.
Some insurance companies may be acting in bad faith by:
Provo personal injury attorneys have the necessary experience and expertise to deal with shady tactics and insurance company games. Hiring a lawyer can help you to avoid being taken advantage of by the other party’s insurance company.
When you have been injured, you may not be considering all the damages that the laws allow. It’s important to seek the full amount of compensation possible. The injuries you sustained may involve future costs you haven’t considered.
When you accept the insurance company’s first settlement offer, you will waive your rights to pursue any further damages, even if your injuries turned out to be more serious or more costly than you thought. An attorney can calculate the full damage amount and explain the different types of damages you are legally entitled to pursue.
Utah follows the no-fault system for car accidents. This usually means you make a claim with your insurance company and the limits of the policy dictate the amount you collect. If you experienced dismemberment, disfigurement, miscarriage, organ damage, or another significant injury, you may have legal grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit in Utah.
People often believe that they cannot sue for economic damages in a no-fault state, but that is simply not the case. You may be able to pursue pain and suffering costs in the instance of a severe injury. You may also be able to pursue damages if the driver was recklessly neglectful of the safety of others.
A personal injury attorney in Provo will have a keen understanding of the limits and the laws of personal injury cases in Utah. Your lawyer can help you to pursue the damages you will need in order to pay for all the costs associated with serious injuries.
Yes. In most cases, pain and suffering is a factor. If you experienced extreme pain, mental anguish, or the accident has had a serious impact on the quality of your life, an attorney can help you to document these losses in order to claim compensation for the damage that was done.
Personal injury lawyers often accept clients on a contingency. A fee structure that is scheduled on a contingency basis means that the lawyer only collects payment if they win your case or recover a settlement. The lawyer enters an agreement with you that the settlement or award will allow a predetermined percentage to go to attorney fees.
This is beneficial for you because the attorney is motivated to seek the highest possible amount for you in most situations. Another fee arrangement could involve a set fee and a smaller portion of your settlement or award.
Any reputable attorney should be willing to explain their fees to you in terms you understand and provide their contract in writing.
Personal injury attorney fees vary from firm to firm, but generally, a fee of 33-40% is the standard. Sometimes, a sliding contingency fee could apply. This means that a certain percentage is charged if the award is agreed upon in a settlement, and a higher percentage is charged if the case needs to proceed to the trial phase.
When people retain the services of a personal injury lawyer, they might wonder if the lawyer is experienced with their type of injury. The 1Law personal injury attorneys in Provo have decades of combined experience and have helped victims with countless kinds of injuries. The most frequently seen injuries in personal injury accident cases involve:
Hiring a lawyer has many obvious benefits, but some things attorneys regularly do are not often considered. Here are some of the main benefits that hiring a personal injury attorney can bring to your case:
Giving recorded statements or signing anything before talking to a lawyer can and will put your claim at risk. They can make you feel at ease while asking seemingly innocuous questions, but in reality, they can twist your words and use any statements against you to deny your claim. Personal injury attorneys will handle the adjusters so that you don’t have to.
Attorneys have the legal knowledge to prove negligence in court. The requirement for proving negligence involves familiarity with the law and the careful collection and presentation of the right evidence.
They can keep up with the legal deadlines and paperwork filing that is necessary in order to avoid having your case negatively impacted or even dismissed. Attorneys understand which paperwork is actually necessary and can save you from filling out endless and pointless forms from the opposing party’s insurance company.
Injury victims are often exhausted or in pain and do not have the time and energy required to handle all the communications necessary to pursue a successful case. Having a Provo personal injury attorney as an ally to deal with the opposing counsel and insurance companies can be priceless.
There may be more than one defendant possible in your case. If you don’t know who all the potential sources of liability are, you cannot collect the full amount of damages. The resources available and access to evidence is much simpler when you have an attorney.
An attorney is a skilled negotiator and avoid the pitfalls and traps of dealing with an insurance company adjuster and their legal armies. They will fight for your compensation and pursue the matter to court if necessary.
While it may seem like a practical idea to represent yourself, you could potentially be costing yourself an extremely significant sum of money. The lawyers of 1Law are not intimidated by unusual cases or complex litigation.
Finding the value of your claim is another job your attorney will handle. After reviewing all the details of your claim and listening to the circumstances surrounding the changes that have impacted your life since your accident, an attorney can calculate a fair amount of damages to seek in your claim.
By researching the results of similar cases and consulting with economists and financial experts, our attorneys can ensure that no expense escapes notice.
A personal injury case always includes the medical cost involved in treating the injury from the accident. This includes reimbursement for treatment you have already paid for and completed. Further, damages awards will include the cost of any future treatments or medical care that is likely to be needed in the future due to the accident.
If your car, clothing, phone, or any other personal property became damaged during the accident, you can seek to be compensated for the repairs or necessary replacement cost of the items.
Time off work will have a negative impact on your wages and that creates a definite hardship for most people. You could be entitled to recover the money you lost when you were unable to work and, if applicable, loss of future wages or loss of earning capacity. Other costs may be considered including vocational rehabilitation if you can no longer perform your previous job.
The psychological impact following serious accidents can be extremely serious and require considerable effort to treat. Losing sleep, suffering anxiety attacks, facing extreme fear, or other emotional trauma can be considered in the damage award.
This is directly related to the injuries you received and is likely a proportional amount. In other words, the greater the injury, the greater the compensation in the majority of cases. Ongoing pain and suffering caused by the accident, the pain involved in the treatment, and the length of time it takes to recover from injuries are also considered.
If you are unable to pursue your previous hobbies, recreational activities, exercise regimen, or other pursuits because of your injuries, loss of enjoyment is a factor in the consideration of damages for a personal injury case.
If you are having relationship difficulties or the marital relationship has been negatively impacted by the accident, a jury may consider loss of consortium in the award.
Depression, PTSD, and other costs that haven’t been mentioned here can be considered in your accident case. Provo personal injury attorneys can help you to determine an accurate case value.
Even a minor incident such as a low-speed collision or slip and fall can result in serious damage to your brain, neck, and spine. While you may believe your injuries are not particularly serious, it’s important to seek medical attention and contact a lawyer.
Your case review is free of charge and our personal injury law firm can help you to understand all the aspects involved in your potential case. Don’t try to deal with insurance companies alone. You can get the help you need and potentially recover the maximum value of your claim with a Provo personal injury lawyer from 1Law.