Following an accident, you need to meet with two people: a doctor and a lawyer. A doctor will help you get better, while a lawyer will help you recover your losses.
Seeking medical attention is both good for your health and your case. Not getting medical attention can lead to legal complications since insurance companies can take advantage of this fact.
Insurance companies will use this fact against you to reduce or reject your claim. After seeing a doctor, you should consult a lawyer. Contact a local personal injury lawyer and discuss your case with them.
It is better to hire a local lawyer than a non-local lawyer.
The following are some of the reasons why you should hire a local lawyer:
- Familiarity with local laws
- Accessibility
- Cost effective
- Network with local expert witnesses
- Familiarity with the opposition’s strategies
- Reputation
Familiarity with local laws
Every state will have its own set of rules when it comes to personal injury law. For example, the statute of limitations in Florida is four years, while it is two years in California.
In addition, the negligence rule also varies in every state. Your lawyer should know about the local laws that can affect your case. A non-local lawyer may not know about all the laws, but a local lawyer will.
Accessibility
Meeting with your lawyer regularly is important. By meeting with a lawyer regularly, you can stay updated on your case.
If you hire a lawyer who lives far from you, then you must travel very far to meet them. This is not feasible. It will be very inconvenient for you to travel that far every once in a while.
You can opt for online meetings, but you have to schedule a meeting and wait for the lawyer, and they may get busy. It is easier when you have face-to-face meetings.
Cost-effective
A continuation of the second point. The fuel cost alone would exceed all other losses. In addition, the lawyer would have to come to your state for the hearing. This will be added to their fee. Also, there might be other costs, such as hiring an expert witness and a private investigator from their state. Their travel costs will also be added to your bill.
Network with Local Expert Witnesses
Local lawyers will have many contacts with expert witnesses, which they will have built over the years. These expert witnesses can help you to a great extent. Most judges will be familiar with local expert witnesses and trust them a lot.
In addition, they will also have connections with private investigators.
Familiarity with the Opposition’s Strategies
Knowing your opponent’s strength is crucial to winning a case. An experienced lawyer will know their opponents well. They will have knowledge about what the opponent will do in a particular situation and counter it effectively.
This knowledge alone makes local lawyers better than non-local ones.
Reputation
Experienced local lawyers will have a good reputation among the court people. Lawyers who have good reputations will be trusted by judges and juries. This gives you an advantage over the opposition. When looking for a local lawyer, try to hire one with a positive reputation.
Wrapping Up
A lawyer is important to win a personal injury case. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help with the following things:
- Investigating the case
- Collecting evidence
- Calculating your losses
- Negotiating with the insurance company
- Court representation, if needed
Hiring a lawyer is a must when filing a personal injury case. It is best to go with a local lawyer because of the aforementioned benefits they offer. A local lawyer can make winning a case much easier.
