Do I need an attorney to represent me on a personal injury claim?
Even an individual who is knowledgeable about insurance claims should seek the advice of an attorney. Anderson & Hart, P.A. offers prospective clients a free initial consultation. You can only benefit by having an experienced attorney evaluate your claim, discuss what you can expect, and outline the options available to you. If you are not familiar with insurance claims and have been seriously injured, hiring an attorney is probably necessary to prove your claim, value your damages, and negotiate a settlement with the negligent party’s insurance company. Statistics show that an injured person represented by a attorney is likely to recover a greater percentage of his or her losses than is an individual who is not represented by an attorney.

If I hire a attorney, do I need an attorney whose practice involves more than personal injury law?
Many individuals injured as a result of someone’s negligence or recklessness also have disability and/or workers’ compensation claims. If the law firm you hire to represent you on a personal injury claim does not practice disability or workers’ compensation law, you may need to retain one or two additional law firms to handle these related claims. Hiring multiple law firms can lead to problems in coordinating the handling of multiple claims. Anderson & Hart, P.A.’s ability to represent clients on all of the potential claims allows the claims to be handled in a coordinated fashion.

Don’t workers’ compensation laws protect me?
Most individuals injured on the job believe that workers’ compensation laws are intended to protect them from losses they suffer as a consequence of their work-related injuries. It is only after they are injured that they learn that workers’ compensation laws are designed to protect employers and insurance companies without regard to the actual losses an injured worker may experience. An injured worker cannot recover the full amount of his lost wages, cannot select his medical providers, and cannot recover anything for the pain and suffering associated with being injured on the job.

Why would I hire an attorney on my workers’ compensation claim?
It is virtually impossible for any injured worker to litigate a workers’ compensation claim! Insurance companies have an injured worker who is not represented by a lawyer at a distinct disadvantage. Insurance companies and their claims adjustors know the law. Injured workers do not. Insurance companies know the value of claims. Injured workers do not. The advice of a lawyer experienced on a workers’ compensation claim can be invaluable in obtaining benefits and in achieving a fair settlement of the claim.

How do I pay a personal injury or workers’ compensation attorney?
Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Claims: Anderson & Hart, P.A. represent individuals on personal injury and wrongful death claims on a contingency basis. This means the client is not charged a fee unless a recovery is made. Some law firms, again including Anderson & Hart, P.A., extend this contingency principle to litigation costs and expenses. The law firm bears the expense of litigation and trial costs unless a recovery is made.
Workers’ Compensation Claims: While many workers’ compensation attorneys get paid fees as a percentage of the benefits they obtain for the client, Anderson & Hart, P.A. does not seek fees from our clients. If a client is denied medical care or lost wages, Anderson & Hart, P.A. will pursue the insurance company to pay any fees due based on what amounts to the insurance company’s bad faith denial of benefits.