WE HAVE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
Personal Injury FAQs
Having your life change suddenly can leave you with many questions. At Phillips, Hayden & Labbee, LLP, our attorneys bring a combined 30 years of experience to the table. We are ready to listen to you and provide you with thoughtful and honest answers.
How could hiring a personal injury attorney help me?
If you’ve been injured in an accident, your first thought likely will be on your physical recovery. Although it may be the last thing that you want to think about during this stressful time, you should also consider whether you have the right to take legal action. The growing cost of medical expenses, lost income from time off work and other unforeseen expenditures may result in a different – but no less real – injury.
When should you contact a personal injury attorney?
In the aftermath of an accident, you may not be thinking about how a small amount of time may impact your legal rights. That is exactly what the insurance company is counting on. For example, if you don’t seek medical treatment immediately after an accident the insurance company may deny your claim. There are countless other reasons why insurance companies may deny your legal standing to seek financial compensation for your injuries.
What is my case worth?
The value of an accident claim is a highly complex determination that is dependent on a number of factors. These include the legal liability of the at-fault party and their ability to pay the judgment (through insurance or otherwise). Also, an accident victim may suffer a variety of different damages, including physical pain, mental anguish, loss of earning capacity, disfigurement, physical impairment and medical expenses.
Are there any risks involved with not hiring a personal injury attorney?
Yes, there are risks. The time period for asserting a legal claim begins to run immediately after an accident. You should also be aware of other important deadlines (such as when you need to begin seeking medical attention) that may impact your ability to obtain financial recovery from the insurance company. In the aftermath of an accident, intricate legal issues likely won’t be front of mind.
Are there really no fees unless we recover?
Correct: There are no fees or costs unless we secure a financial recovery for you. Our “no fees or costs unless we win” promise begins when you first contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. In that initial meeting, we will provide you with a candid analysis of your potential legal claim at no cost to you. Then, if we take on your case, we will advance all costs associated with your representation and perform the work on a contingency fee basis. If we do not achieve a financial recovery, then our fee is $0 and you are not responsible for the costs that we advanced for your claim. This is why we only take on cases in which we sincerely believe.
I’ve never been in a lawsuit – what’s the process like?
We understand that the litigation process is foreign to most people, but don’t worry – it’s what we do every day. The process begins by preparing a demand, which requires us to gather as much information as possible to ensure that you get the recovery that you deserve. Once a demand is made, the insurance company can pay the demand, or it can deny your claim, in which case, a lawsuit will be filed. From there, we immediately begin preparing your case for trial. Even though a majority of cases settle before a trial occurs, in our experience, preparing each case as if it will go to trial helps ensure maximum recovery for a claim. After settlement or a successful trial verdict, we continue to work alongside you to get the insurance company to pay as soon as possible.
