Personal injury attorney Lance D. Youd in Salem, Oregon, has years of experience negotiating and aggressively settling personal injury claims. He knows the best approach to prosecute and win fair settlements for his clients. He recognizes the strategies that opponents will use and has the skill to defend against those strategies, and use those strategies to his advantage on his client’s behalf. Most cases settled by an attorney far exceed the original offer made to the victim from the insurance company.
The most important step is to get medical treatment, even if your injuries appear to be minor. You can never be certain that symptoms won’t surface in the future. If you are offered a low and unfair settlement, turn it down and get a second opinion from the attorney as to what they project as a fair settlement for your case. While $600.00 may look like easy money now, if you agree to take it, you will be giving up any rights you may have for fair compensation in the future. Document all facts, police reports, doctor appointments, and information from the accident, and be sure to take photographs of the injuries and scene of the accident.
WHAT DO PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS DO?
If you have been injured due to the negligence of another you have the choice to hire a personal injury attorney who then becomes your advocate in negotiating with the insurance company, managing your medical bills, and collecting and organizing all of the documents on your case. While you heal, the attorney will be communicating with the insurance company on your behalf and begin the process of demanding a fair and just settlement for your physical, psychological, and financial loss. As the victim, your greatest responsibility is to heal from the trauma and injuries sustained from the accident. Personal Injury attorneys can fight for compensation for damages caused by automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, commercial accidents, wrongful death, and slip and fall accidents. It is the insurance company’s responsibility to pay the damages. The insurance company will typically attempt to value and settle your case for the least amount possible. An experienced personal injury lawyer knows how to strategically negotiate and fight the insurance company to get the best possible settlement for his or her client.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF PERSONAL INJURY CASES?
There is an infinite variety of personal injury cases. The most common are car accidents that involve a drunk driver, rear-end accidents that result in neck and back injuries, commercial vehicle accidents, and uninsured or under-insured motorist accidents.
WHAT DO PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS CHARGE?
Personal injury lawyers typically charge on what is called “contingency fee.” Their fee is a percentage of what they recover on behalf of the injured person. If the case is settled without the need for a trial, the attorney fee will be one-third. If trial is necessary the attorney fee will be forty percent. No fee is charged unless money is recovered.
DO PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS WORK ON CONTINGENCY?
It depends on the law firm, and the type of case. If you are hiring an attorney to represent you in a personal injury claim, then yes, most attorneys will work on contingency basis. Attorney Lance D. Youd charges only if a settlement is received.
We interviewed Lance Youd, our personal injury attorney in Salem. If you have questions regarding personal injury, this article is for you.
