If you’ve been injured in an accident by no fault of your own, and you’re wondering if you should file a lawsuit or just walk away and deal with the expenses on your own, it’s not likely the best choice. Whenever you walk away from a situation that is costing you time, money, or energy that you shouldn’t have to spend, you’re only putting yourself in a worse situation.
Thinking you can just walk away after being injured by someone else’s negligence sounds noble. After all, you may not want to get into a legal battle or deal with any kind of fight.
However, filing a personal injury lawsuit isn’t a negative kind of battle, and it’s the only way you have a chance at getting the financial compensation you deserve.
1. You should not have to pay for bills you didn’t create
You probably wouldn’t walk into a crowded restaurant and announce that you’re going to foot the bill for everyone inside for the next 6 hours. You would have no reason to do that, but that’s essentially what you’re doing when you take responsibility for paying your own medical bills that someone else racked up.
When it’s not your fault you have to pay a mountain of medical bills, you have no good reason to make yourself suffer financially by trying to pay it all. The best way to cover your medical expenses is to hire a personal injury attorney and file a lawsuit.
For example, West Palm Beach attorneys from Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa regularly recover generous compensation for their clients in Florida, and clients don’t have to pay any fees upfront. They work on a contingency basis and clients only pay a fee if they win your case.
Whether it was a dog bite, a fall, a car accident, or a defective product, there are laws that protect you from having to pay for your own expenses when someone breaches their duty of care.
The other thing to consider is lost wages. Even if your employer lets you use your accrued sick time or personal time off, it’s not fair for you to have to redeem the pay you’ve earned for something that isn’t your fault.
During a personal injury lawsuit, your attorney can fight to get you additional compensation for lost wages, both past and future.
2. If you change your mind later, it will be too late
Every state has a statute of limitations, within which you must file your lawsuit. In general, it’s about three or four years, but that varies by state. If the statute of limitations has passed, you won’t be able to pursue your claim. Sometimes, there are exceptions, but it’s extremely rare and doesn’t apply to most situations.
For example, some states begin a minor’s statute of limitations deadline on their 18th birthday, which means if they were 10 when the accident occurred, the clock doesn’t start counting down for about 8 more years.
If you decide not to file a lawsuit now, and you change your mind after the statute of limitations has passed, it will be too late. It’s better to get an attorney now, file your lawsuit now, and if you decide you want to drop it later, you can do that. However, once you realize how easy it is to move through a lawsuit with an expert attorney doing all the work, you will want to see it all the way through.
3. Trying to negotiate on your own won’t work
If you’re postponing filing a lawsuit because you think you can work out a deal with the responsible party on your own, out of court, think again. Negotiating compensation is something that takes not just negotiating skills, but experience. The entity that caused your injuries is not likely to accept responsibility for their negligence unless forced by a court order. This is a reality that you’re going to discover fast if you take this route.
Wasting your time trying to get the other party to pay you for the accident isn’t going to work. Your energy, time, and money are better spent investing in the trusted experience of a personal injury attorney who will file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Don’t take the hit for someone else’s negligence
The longer you wait to file your personal injury lawsuit, the harder it will be for you until you do. Get an attorney as soon as possible so you can get compensated faster.
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