Personal Injury Law – 5 Common Myths

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How Much Do You Know About Personal Injury Law and Personal Injury Lawyers?Ā 

Most people donā€™t spend a lot of time with attorneys, and if they do, itā€™s usually at aĀ difficult time in their lives. If youā€™reĀ considering hiring a personalĀ injury attorney,Ā thenĀ youā€™re probablyĀ struggling with diagnosis and treatment of seriousĀ injuriesĀ or even the loss of a loved one. You may be struggling with medical bills that keep piling up, and you mayĀ be confused about what you should do when the insurance company keeps callingĀ youĀ or makes a settlement offer that is much lower than you need.Ā 

For many people,Ā though,Ā contacting a lawyerĀ for help with these issuesĀ can feel intimidating, especially if all they know about attorneys is what theyā€™veĀ seen in movies or on television.Ā 

We want to help you understand lawyers and personal injury law a bit better by dispelling some common myths and misconceptions. We hope this will give you a clearer picture of what personal injury lawyers doĀ and why they do it.Ā Ā 


“We hope this will give you a clearer picture of what personal injury lawyers do and why they do it. “


And if you feel like you need to talk to a personal injury attorney, donā€™t put it off. You can call Crosley Law Firm right now atĀ 210-LAW-3000 | 210-529-3000, or you can simply fill out a convenient onlineĀ contact form. We offer free consultations to listen to the details of your story and provide you with candid legal advice about what your best course of action is. In fact, that brings us to our first myth.Ā 

Myth #1: Itā€™s going to cost me a lot of money to talk to a personal injury lawyer, and itā€™sĀ going to cost even more to hire one.Ā 

The truth: It should be free to talk to your personal injury lawyer, and in Texas, it shouldnā€™t cost you aĀ singleĀ dime to hire a lawyer to work on your personal injury case.Ā 

This is a common myth about personal injury lawyers. It started because different types of lawyers have different ways of charging for their services. These are sometimes called ā€œfee structures.ā€Ā Hiring certain types of lawyers, like a divorce attorneyĀ orĀ criminal defense attorney, usually does involve anĀ up-front charge and can beĀ expensive, which is why some people think hiring a lawyer forĀ anyĀ typeĀ of case will be hard to afford.Ā 

However, in personal injury law, the vast majority of attorneys use whatā€™sĀ known as a ā€œcontingent fee structure.ā€ With a contingent feeĀ structure, the lawyer agrees to work on your case free of chargeĀ and then deducts their fee at the end of the case ā€” but only if they get you a settlement or win your case in court.Ā 


“With a contingent fee structure, the lawyer agrees to work on your case free of charge and then deducts their fee at the end of the case ā€” but only if they get you a settlement or win your case in court. “


This is how we do things at Crosley Law Firm. We alsoĀ payĀ all your case expenses out of our own pocket. Court filing fees, expert witness consultations, car crash reconstruction, and many other costs can add up quickly. We pay for all of that up front so you can focus on yourĀ healing and recovery. As withĀ our fees, we simply deduct expenses at the end of your case ā€” but only if we get you a settlement or win your case in court. We call this our ā€œno-fee policy,ā€ and you canĀ read more about it on our website.Ā 

The reason we do things this way is because we believe that everyone has the right to receiveĀ outstanding legal representation, whether they can afford it or not.Ā Many of our clients come to us struggling with medical bills, and the last thing they need to worry about is how they are going to pay for a lawyer.Ā 

Another reason we do things this way is to align our goals with those of our clients. If we donā€™t get paid unless we win, that gives everyone on our team evenĀ more of a reason to fightĀ hardĀ for our clients. We donā€™t take on cases we donā€™t think we can winĀ (which is why we offer free case evaluations), and we chase down every possible lead to make sure our clients get the justice and compensation they deserve.Ā 

To make a long story short:Ā it shouldnā€™t cost you anything to talk to a personal injury lawyer about your situation, and it shouldnā€™t cost you anything to hire a personal injury attorney to work on your claim. You should only have to pay your lawyer if they get you a settlement or win your case in court.Ā 

Myth #2:Ā My insurance will cover allĀ my costs if Iā€™mĀ injured.Ā 

The truth: Insurance companiesĀ are in it for the profits, and theyĀ will pay you the least amount of money possible to make your claim go away.Ā 

ManyĀ workersĀ in the insurance industry are good people, but every insurance company is primarily concerned with one thing: their bottom line.Ā Injuries from car accidentsĀ are a common reason that people end up filing personal injury lawsuits, and itā€™s not hard to understand why. Each year, insurance companies only pay about 50% of the costs associated with motor vehicle crashes. On the other hand, crash victims end up paying about 26% of motor vehicle crash costsĀ out of their own pocketsĀ each year!

So, even with insurance, youā€™reĀ likely to end up paying, and it could beĀ a lotĀ ā€” even if youā€™re the victim and your injuries were caused by someone elseā€™s carelessness. Thatā€™s simply not fair, but itā€™s how the system works.Ā And this relates to another commonĀ myth about personal injury law.Ā 

Myth #3:Ā The person responsible for my injuries will have to pay out of their pockets.Ā 

The truth: In almost every personal injury case, it is big, profitable insurance companies that pay for your claim, not the individual responsible.Ā 

The reality of many personal injury cases is that the guilty person would often have as much difficultyĀ paying for your medical bills, lost wages, and property damageĀ as youĀ ā€” not to mention compensating you for your pain and suffering. Instead, it is the at-fault personā€™s insurance that willĀ likelyĀ pay your settlement or award.Ā 

Even if you are making a personal injury claim against a company (for example, if you areĀ injured on their property), they usually haveĀ insurance to cover them. And depending on the unique situation you are in, there may be several different sources ofĀ insuranceĀ coverage that can be sought to pay for your personal injury claim. If you areĀ hit by a large truck, for example, you may be able to sue the driver, the trucking company, and/or a parts manufacturer to get the compensation you deserve for your losses.Ā 


“Depending on the unique situation you are in, there may be several different sources of insurance coverage that can be sought to pay for your personal injury claim.”


At Crosley Law Firm, we pursue every possible avenue of compensationĀ in your case. Weā€™re not afraid to take on big insurance companies,Ā especially if it means getting the justice and compensation an injured victim deserves.Ā 

Myth #4:Ā I only have minor injuries, so itā€™s probably not worth talking to a lawyer.Ā 

The truth:Ā Medical bills add upĀ veryĀ fast, even for ā€œminorā€ injuries. If someone else caused your injuries, you should talk to a personal injury lawyer right away.Ā 

First, you shouldĀ neverĀ worry about whetherĀ itā€™s worth talking to a personal injury lawyer. At Crosley Law Firm,Ā we offer free consultationsĀ so you can talk to a qualified, experienced attorney right away. We are here to help you! Weā€™ve handled hundreds upon hundreds of personal injury casesĀ in Texas, and we have the knowledge and expertise to talk to you and help you understand what your options are ā€” no matter how big or small your case might be.Ā 

Second, people tendĀ to downplay their injuries. At the same time, the costs for ā€œminorā€ injuries can add up fast.Ā According to the CDC, theĀ cost of theĀ average ER visit forĀ a car accident victimĀ is $3,300.Ā Additionally, the average cost if theĀ victim is hospitalized comes to $57,000 over the course of their lifetime, and 75% of those costs arise in the first 18 months after their crash.Ā 

In fact, the average personal injury claim award is $28,000Ā according to the most recent available data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.Ā For many of our clients at Crosley Law Firm, their minor injuries become a major problem. ā€œMinorā€ sprains and strainsĀ oftenĀ become more painfulĀ over time instead of less. Our clientsĀ require shots, medication, and physical therapy to treat their injuries. TheyĀ end up needing surgery. They see several doctors and get multiple tests done over theĀ course of their medical journey, and theyĀ try to get answers about why they are experiencing pain, limited range of motion, and other symptoms. They miss work, miss out on their hobbies, andĀ may even struggle with psychological or emotional issues such as PTSD after being injured.Ā Ā 

Those costs all add upĀ ā€” and if someone else caused your injury, you never would have had to pay for any of them.Ā 

For these reasons and many others, itā€™s important to talk to a personal injury attorneyĀ like the ones at Crosley Law FirmĀ as soon as possible after youā€™re injured.Ā 

Myth #5:Ā I have plenty of time to file a lawsuit if I want to do it later.Ā 

The truth: A time limit known as a ā€œstatute of limitationsā€ usually starts counting down the moment you get injured. Once two years pass, you can no longer file a personal injury lawsuit.Ā 

Itā€™s not uncommon for us to meet with a client during one of our free consultations only toĀ discover that their injuries occurredĀ too long agoĀ for themĀ to file a personal injury claim.Ā Often, this comes as devastating news after the costs associated with their injuries haveĀ grown intoĀ a huge burden over time.Ā 

Two years may seem like a long time, but it goes by faster than most people think. And if your injuries start out minor and get worse over time, itā€™s easy to focus on finding out whatā€™s wrong and getting better; the last thing on most peopleā€™s minds when they have been injured is filing a lawsuit.Ā 

While there are some circumstances that can extend the time frameĀ you have available to file a lawsuit, they are limited and usually complex. This is yet another reason why itā€™s important to talk to a lawyer right away if you have been injured.Ā 

Crosley Law Firm: Helping Texas Personal Injury VictimsĀ 

Here at Crosley Law Firm, we want people to understand how the law works, and we donā€™t want people to hesitate if they are thinking of contacting an attorney. If you have been injured or lost a loved one because of someone elseā€™s carelessness, we are here to help.Ā Ā 

Call our offices atĀ 210-LAW-3000 | 210-529-3000Ā orĀ fill out our convenient online contact formĀ so we can get back to you right away and schedule a free consultation. We are here to listen to your story and help you make a smart decision about what you should do. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can start investigating your case ā€” so donā€™t wait. Letā€™s talk about your situation today.Ā 

ReferencesĀ 

Abrams, L. (2013, February 28). How much does it cost to go to the ER?Ā The Atlantic. Retrieved fromĀ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/how-much-does-it-cost-to-go-to-the-er/273599/Ā Ā 

CDC report shows motor vehicle crash injuries are frequent and costly. (2014, October 7).Ā Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ā Retrieved fromĀ https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p1007-crash-injuries.htmlĀ Ā 

Civil cases. (2017, August 22).Ā Bureau of Justice Statistics.Ā Retrieved fromĀ https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=45Ā Ā 

Cost of auto crashes & statistics. (2015).Ā Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. Retrieved fromĀ http://www.rmiia.org/auto/traffic_safety/Cost_of_crashes.aspĀ Ā 

The contentā€Æprovided hereĀ isā€Æfor informational purposes onlyĀ and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.Ā