There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to injury lawyers, and these misconceptions can actually serve to hurt you in the event that you need to seek compensation following a workers’ compensation or personal injury accident. In an effort to dispel those misconceptions and ensure your voice is heard after an injury, we want to use today’s blog to debunk some common myths about injury lawyers in Minnesota.
Dispelling Myths About Injury Lawyers
Injury lawyers oftentimes get a bad rap. Some people think of them as ambulance chasers who only want to collect a portion of your payday, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With that in mind, let’s look at some common myths and misconceptions surrounding injury lawyers.
1. They Are Too Expensive – Some people incorrectly assume that a lawyer is only getting involved in your injury case for the money, but unlike other areas of law, your outcome is directly connected to the level of service they provide. Unlike criminal or family law where you’ll have to pay lawyer fees regardless of the outcome, Minnesota injury cases are handled on a contingent basis, meaning you only pay your lawyer if you win an award. If your case is denied, you’re not stuck with a major bill for lawyer fees. Our payday only occurs when we get you the compensation you deserve.
2. They Don’t Care About Your Settlement Award Amount – An injury lawyer not only has a vested interest in helping you win an award, but they also care about getting you the biggest payday possible. That’s because they earn a set percentage of your winnings, meaning the more they get for you, the larger their slice of pie is. In Minnesota, workers’ compensation case fees are capped at 20% of your injury award, and personal injury fees tend to be around 30-40%.
3. You Don’t Need One To Win Your Case – It certainly is possible for an individual to win a personal injury case on their own, so this statement isn’t a myth in and of itself. However, if you are hoping to maximize your award amount, you will need a lawyer by your side. There are so many types of benefits that you can be awarded following an injury claim, and without thorough knowledge of the law and an ability to calculate the current and future economical impact of your injury case, you’re not going to be able to get top dollar for your claim. Oftentimes a lawyer can end up more than paying for their services by adding value to your claim and your award amount. For example, if you could only secure $5,000 for your injury case if you took on the insurance company on your own, you would still take home a lot more money even after paying 20 percent to your lawyer if they could get you a $10,000 settlement.
4. There’s No Point To A Lawyer If The Insurance Company Offers A Settlement – Perhaps you were considering hiring a lawyer when you received notice that the insurance company has investigated the incident and is willing to offer you a settlement. You may feel that you can just sign the offer and take home the full award instead of sharing a portion with a lawyer. You could do this, but again, if you want to maximize your take home amount, this is a poor strategy. First offers are oftentimes lowball attempts to put an end to a case, hoping to capitalize on a person’s inexperience and desire to put an end to your case. Never sign a first settlement offer without thoroughly reviewing the offer with a lawyer.
5. They Are Ambulance Chasers – Despite how an injury lawyer may be depicted on television, we’re not hanging out waiting to hand out our business cards at the scene of a car accident. We let our track record speak for ourselves and let potential clients come to us. We even offer free consultations so that people can understand what value we can bring to the table before they make a decision on how to proceed. We don’t want to profit off your worst day, we want to help you make the best of a bad situation by getting you the financial compensation you deserve after an accident.
For more information on what we try to do for each and every client of ours, pick up the phone and call Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.
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