Experienced Injury Lawyer Serving Victims in the San Francisco Bay and Burlingame Areas
People who are severely injured know they need an attorney. The risk of making a mistake with significant damages involved is far too high to not obtain experienced counsel. If you or a loved one are seriously injured and you believe someone else may be legally responsible of course you should call experienced counsel, such as Shapiro Legal Group, immediately.
But what if you are more moderately injured? Do you need a personal injury lawyer? How do you know? The guidelines we use at Shapiro Legal Group to decide whether or not to take a case are similar to the standards a prospective client should use to decide whether or not to hire counsel. Will the injured person likely be better off by hiring counsel? What we generally look for is whether the person had a course of treatment for their injuries. If so they should probably hire counsel. If not they should probably handle the matter on their own providing they have the communication skills and acumen to do so.
For example, someone who is seen at the emergency room one time or goes to their primary care physician one time and receives no further care probably does not need counsel. Of course, they should not settle anything until they are comfortable with their physical condition and know they will not need further treatment. Once you settle you are done even if you later determine that you suffered more injury than you previously thought. You cannot go back and re-open your claim. Finality is the benefit of the bargain for the insurance company.
On the other hand, if you are going to go through a regimen of physical therapy or chiropractic care these are courses of treatment and your damages will last on the order of months as opposed to days or weeks. In these circumstances hiring counsel will likely be beneficial. These are guidelines and every case should be evaluated on an individual basis. If you would like to find out whether hiring an attorney is right for you feel free to call Shapiro Legal Group for a free consultation.