Injuries account for 9% of global deaths each year and for those who survive injuries, long-term or permanent disabilities are common.

If you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or misbehavior, you don’t have to cover medical bills and other related expenses on your own. Filing a personal injury claim is an important step to take to ensure that your injury doesn’t take a toll on your finances.

That being said, if you’re filing a personal injury claim, it is imperative that you have a legal group in your corner. Insurance companies are not always easy to fight and their objective is almost always to pay out as little as possible.

Read on for five reasons that working with a legal group can improve your odds of receiving due compensation in a personal injury claim.

1. Insurance Companies Want You to Settle Fast–and Settle Low

It’s not uncommon for insurance companies to try to move through the settlement process as quickly as possible. They may even claim that this is for your benefit. After all, wouldn’t you rather have money to pay your medical bills now, rather than a few months down the line?

The reality is that they’re hoping that in exchange for a quick settlement, you’ll take a low settlement. It may cover the bare minimum of your medical expenses and none of the related expenses, such as damage to your property or lost income.

Plus, speeding through the settlement process may not give your doctors enough time to provide a professional analysis of what’s to come. If you’re going to need ongoing treatment, you deserve compensation for those future bills. A fast, low settlement will certainly not account for any long-term or permanent disabilities you may have acquired from your injury.

2. Proving Negligence Isn’t Always Simple

In personal injury law, negligence is the keyword. Negligence is what establishes that someone else is at fault but that they weren’t acting maliciously, which could elevate your case to a criminal (rather than civil) case.

Proving negligence in a personal injury case involves a few important factors.

First, you must establish that the person in question owed you a certain duty of care. That could mean, for example, that they owed you the best treatment they could provide as your doctor. It could mean that they owed you their careful and attentive driving as someone who was sharing the road with you.

Then, you must establish that that duty of care was not met. This is considered negligence. In other words, the person in question failed to act with care to a reasonable degree, leading to your injury.

Finally, you have to link the person in question’s negligence to a tangible injury. It’s not enough to say, “This person was texting and driving and they hit my car as a result.” You have to establish that you were considerably injured in the process.

As you can imagine, proving these three factors isn’t always simple. Without solid evidence, it may be your word against theirs.

3. Insurance Companies Will Use Pre-Existing Conditions Against You

Throughout the personal injury claim process, insurance companies will ask to see things like your medical records and they may ask you to sign various forms of consent. If you don’t have a legal team on your side, you may hand over information that can be used against you.

One of the biggest things an insurance company is looking for is a pre-existing condition they can point to in court. If they can find a way to blame your current injury on your pre-existing condition, rather than on the incident that led to your injury, they will.

4. Establishing Due Compensation Is Tricky

In addition to proving negligence, you will have to establish what you believe to be your due compensation. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, especially if you don’t know everything you may be owed in a personal injury claim.

Some of the primary sources of compensation in a personal injury claim include:

• Related medical expenses, current and future
• Lost income (for example, if you are unable to work full-time because of your injury and your paycheck is lower as a result)
• Related property damage
• Other damages including psychological or emotional distress caused by the accident or injury

Quantifying all of these damages in a monetary form can be tricky. A legal team can help you compile the documents you need, from medical bills to paystubs, to create a strong case and fight for the compensation you are owed.

5. A Legal Group Can Protect You Against Insurance Company Tactics

At the end of the day, insurance companies don’t have your best interest in mind. They want to reach the lowest settlement possible by whatever means they can–including manipulation or coercion.

Fighting insurance lawyers alone can lead to undue stress and a weaker case. Working with a criminal defence attorney like this one can improve your odds and take the pressure off of you throughout the claims process. If you were recently injured and believe it was caused by someone else’s negligence, contact a legal team right away and get started on a strong, bulletproof claim.

Don’t Fight Your Personal Injury Claim Alone

If you’ve recently filed a personal injury claim, you’ll quickly find that the insurance company will come after you with tactics you may not have expected. Working with a legal group is the best way to protect your interests and avoid undue stress while you fight for the compensation you are owed.

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