In our experience here at Koontz & Smith, Attorneys at Law, there is a great deal of misinformation surrounding personal injury claims. We don’t want you to miss your chance to get the compensation you deserve because you believed bad information, so we have put together this article to correct some of the most common misconceptions about personal injury law.
- Misconception #1: It’s not worth it to talk to a lawyer if your injuries are minor. One common misconception about personal injury law has to do with the severity of your injuries. Many people don’t seek legal representation for minor injuries because they believe it’s not worth the trouble, thinking they can’t possibly get much compensation for them. We believe you deserve to be fairly compensated for every injury, no matter how severe, so we encourage you to call us even if your injuries seem minor. In addition, many minor injuries can go on to cause serious complications—for example, whiplash can cause ongoing neck pain long after the initial accident—so it’s wise to seek compensation.
- Misconception #2: The party at fault in a personal injury law case will have to pay out of pocket. In our experience, some people hesitate to pursue personal injury cases out of concern for the other party involved. For example, if you got injured in a car accident in which the other driver was a friend or family member, you may not want to take them to court because you don’t want to cause them financial hardship. Rest assured, the other party will most likely not have to pay out of pocket, but instead, their insurance will handle the payout instead.
- Misconception #3: If you file a personal injury claim, you’ll need to appear in court. The last misconception we want to cover has to do with court appearances. Personal injury law cases rarely proceed to trial, and most are instead settled long before then. It is, therefore, unlikely that you will have to appear in court.