Do I Need A Personal Injury Attorney?

Is a Personal Injury attorney right for me? What type of lawyer should I call? Will an attorney help me with this case? Many people ask these questions when the unthinkable happens. The key to choosing the right attorney is knowing when you need one. How do you choose the best lawyer for a situation?

When disagreements with a spouse go over-the-line … it is time to call a family attorney. When the District Attorney’s office charges you (or a loved one) with a crime … it is time to call a criminal defense attorney. These example are relatively obvious. Yet, who do you call if you are wronged in other ways? What if you are injured, or lose a loved one in an accident? How do you know if the law will help you?

What is a Personal Injury Attorney?

I am an Alaskan Personal Injury lawyer. Most folks know that I help people hurt (and the families of those killed) by another person’s bad conduct (“negligence”).

In the case of an automobile crash, the negligence is usually poor choices while driving – ignoring the Rules of the Road. People call me when they were hurt in an accident – caused by somebody else. For example: a Drunk Driver crossed the center-line, or ran a Stop sign … and crashed into them. When this happens, it may not seem too difficult to conclude that the Drunk Driver engaged was wrong or negligent. We all agree that accountability is good. The law should help injured people. The law must help families of a person killed by someone else’s wrongful misconduct. Holding Drunk Drivers fully accountable for their misconduct makes society better.

What about situations when an individual suffers serious injuries (or is killed) by products and machinery that have been poorly designed, built, or maintained? Was it because a manufacturer or vendor was negligent in their duties to the public and allowed a defective product to reach the market? In order to recover the highest amount of compensation for a defective product injury, you must be able to prove the following:

• The manufacturer (or vendor) had a duty
• The manufacturer (or vendor) breached that duty
• The breach caused the accident and resulted in the injuries

When to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer

Imagine this situation. You are badly injured or a loved one is killed. Whether there is bad conduct or not is unclear. How is a person like you to learn whether another person engaged in the type of bad conduct giving rise to a tort claim for injury or death?

Or, what about situations where an insurance company tells you “there is no claim here,” “there is no coverage for that loss,” or “there is nothing we can do for you”? What should you do then?

The answer is simple: You can either: (1) Wilt away and let it drop; or (2) Find a good Personal Injury Attorney to investigate for you.

How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help?

A good Personal Injury Lawyer will educate you about your rights, the legal bases of your claim, and the damages you may be able to recover. A good Personal Injury attorney should also advise you throughout the recovery process, helping you know what to expect. Finally, a good Personal Injury lawyer should be an effective and honest representative for you.

A good Personal Injury attorney is willing to expend the time and resources necessary to fully investigate potential injury and death claims. We hire investigators, collect the records, do the legal, engineering, and medical research to determine whether a claim exists. It is part of our job. You have nothing to lose by asking a good Personal Injury attorney to investigate an injury or death claim. Nothing. The worst that can happen is you spend 30 minutes explaining the situation to the attorney – who sees no merit, and declines to further investigate. On the other hand, the attorney may discover that a potential claim exists … and be willing to work with you.

For nearly 30 years, Johnson & Associates has helped injured Alaskans navigate challenging times. And while you hope you never need us, we’re here if you do. Contact Johnson & Associates: (907)277-3090 or use our online contact form.

Image Source: Adobe Stock