Is it Worth Your While to Pursue a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Car accidents only take a few seconds to unfold, but they can affect your life for months, or even years, afterward. Trying to put your life back together after suffering a serious injury can be confusing and stressful. Even if you were fortunate enough to be financially secure before the accident, the medical bills and time that you missed from work because of your injury might require you to rethink your financial plans for the future. Serious injuries have been the catalyst for many life changes, including changing careers or moving to a different state. Damages awarded in personal injury lawsuits have offered relief to many people who were injured in car accidents. A consultation with a car accident injury lawyer can help you decide if a personal injury lawsuit is the right course of action for you.

Not Everyone Who Gets Injured Should Sue

Many people receive a check from their car insurance company after a car accident, even if the accident involved only minor injuries. Car insurance companies compensate drivers for vehicle repairs, medical expenses, and when applicable, time missed from work. If you have received such a settlement in the past, it may have felt like too little too late. Lots of people are financially strapped; you may have heard the gloomy statistic that the only way nearly half of Americans could pay for a $400 emergency expense would be to borrow money or use a credit card.

When is Litigating a Personal Injury Lawsuit Worth the Expense?

More often than you might expect, when injured people consult with a personal injury attorney, the attorney will tell the potential client that the damages are not great enough to justify the costs and expenses necessary to file a lawsuit. To assess a potential case, an attorney may ask you the following questions:

• Do other people depend on your income? If you were financially supporting yourself and others with money from your job at the time of the accident, you have a stronger case than if you were retired or if you depended financially on others.
• Could others be harmed if the defendant is not held accountable for negligence? For example, if the defendant is the city responsible for the unsafe intersection where the accident took place or the company that employed the delivery driver who collided with your car, then a personal injury lawsuit might compel the defendant to improve safety standards, thus preventing future injuries.

Contact Patrick Yancey About Car Accident Cases

Instead of speculating or listening to rumors, find out firsthand whether filing a personal injury lawsuit is a good choice for you. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana to see if you have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.