Additional Legal Questions Answered

ANSWER: Insurers aren’t charities; they try to minimize their claim payouts. When an insurance company offers you a figure to settle your claim, it probably fails to account for the total harm you’ve suffered. Further, when you agree to a sum from an insurer, you forfeit your right to seek more money if you end up being undercompensated.

Insurance agents are trained negotiators; they are probably using several techniques to pressure you into quickly accepting their offer – perhaps without you even realizing it.

A personal injury attorney does represent your interests: to maximize the compensation you receive. You should always consult an experienced New York injury lawyer before accepting an offer from an insurance company.

ANSWER: This aspect of law is known as premises liability, and it’s quite possible you have a claim. However, society has a common misconception that suffering an injury on another’s property automatically entitles the victim to compensation. Premises liability cases are contentious and both sides will likely argue about who was at fault in the accident.

If you’ve been seriously injured on another person’s property, you need to speak with a New York premises liability attorney to help you sort out the complicated legal issues.

ANSWER: Yes, the New York civil court system allows people to represent themselves, known as pro se litigants. Still, we strongly advise against such a decision.

It’s true that injury attorneys don’t work for FREE. Reputable lawyers receive a portion of your settlement or damages award for their service to you. However, “going it alone” is unlikely to net you more money. Opting to handle your case pro se will probably leave you with considerably less compensation than an attorney could help you get. Or – even worse – a procedural or substantive mistake will doom your claim and forfeit your legal rights.

Many NYC personal injury lawyers offer FREE consultations. Reputable attorneys will explain their fee structure at that time so you can make an informed decision.

ANSWER: People should be careful with their money, so we applaud your ability to save your resources. However, lawyer shopping is a lot different than shopping for goods.

You wouldn’t want to go to a cheap mechanic who fixes your care with duct tape, even if it saved you several hundred dollars. The car would soon break down and you’d be out more money than if you went to a good mechanic to begin with.

Lawyers are the same way, but the stakes are even higher. If an inexperienced or unskilled attorney botches your claim, you don’t get a “do-over” – your legal rights have probably already been forfeited. Getting an experienced and skilled attorney can actually end up netting you thousands of dollars by helping you get a better settlement or damages award.