Should I represent myself in a personal injury claim
Should I represent myself in a personal injury claim
Should you represent yourself in a personal injury claim? What's involved? If you decide to use a lawyer, how do you know who to use?
These are questions many ask themselves when they think about getting compensation for an injury suffered.
Is it possible to win a law suit without a lawyer? Can you fight your own battle in court - and win?
Of course you can. Anything is possible. Winning the lottery is possible, especially if you buy enough tickets over a long enough period of time.
But - what will representing yourself in court entail? Is it worth it? Can you battle insurance companies and their high priced lawyers and succeed?
Unfortunately, even small claims court is a complex arena in which to launch a law suit. As an individual, especially one with no legal experience, one can feel a bit like an unfortunate thrown to the lions in an ancient Roman arena.
First of all, to win your case, you have to follow the rules. To follow the rules, you have to KNOW the rules. The rules vary from region to region and between different categories of cases.
The first thing you need to know is whether theres a statute of limitations - in other words, do you have to file your claim within a certain time period?
Then you need to know the exact procedure for filing - what paperwork is necessary and when it has to be submitted and to whom.
You have to take responsibility for assembling and cataloging evidence you will use. This includes the witnesses you will call. Witness statements have to be prepared and witnesses have to agree to appear on your behalf if necessary.
You have to document your argument and provide proof - in exact detail.
Remember as well that the court is not interested in how you feel or how wronged youve been - they only care about facts .
You may think that you have documented all the facts carefully but when youre under fire by a hostile opponent and being evaluated by a skeptical judge, will your argument sound credible, logical and true? Or will you come off as an emotionally overwrought whiner?
Will you get upset when the opposition makes accusations and perhaps attack your character?
Are there negatives on your side that can come out during a hearing to embarrass you? If there are negatives, do you know how to handle them so that they dont destroy your credibility?
As you can see, representing yourself is not necessarily as simple as it may appear - even when you have what seems to be an open and shut case.
Hiring experienced legal representation may dig into the settlement amount you expect to win, but you stand to lose everything if you dont fully understand how the process works and how to work it to your best advantage.
You may be concerned about hiring a personal injury lawyer you can trust and confide in - thats natural.
To help you make this serious decision, weve prepared a free white paper for you. Its called 8 things you MUST know and 14 questions you MUST ask before hiring a personal injury lawyer.
You can request this paper from abbotsfordpersonalinjurylawyer(dot)com. Just put in your email address and name in the space provided and youll receive an email with an instant download link. Theres no obligation - its free and waiting to answer your questions right now. There is no cost and no obligation. Business Owner's Insurance Coverage is the Time Right for a Personal Trainer Are You Interested in Becoming a Personal Chef? Business Insurance - All business owners require to know Business Insurance - Safeguarding Business, Safeguarding Business Owners Personal injury claims: will I have to go to court? The iMed Stor Can Be Your Personal Dicom Archive Going Social the Personal Way! Traffic Cones for Personal Use The Need For Personal Injury Lawyers Personal injury lawyer Massachusetts Personal Trainer Hollywood - Find Great Personal Trainers in LA! Private Personal injury Law firm