A Personal Injury Attorney Advises Why it’s Best Not to Represent Yourself in Court

1. May 15, 2017 A Personal Injury Attorney Advises Why it’s Best Not to Represent Yourself in Court Image 1: A Personal Injury Attorney Makes the Claims Process Easier to Manage Every year, more than 28 million people visit the ER due to unintentional injuries, and a good deal of those are through the fault of another. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you could be entitled to file a personal injury claim. Some common situations people find themselves in include auto accidents and injuries at work, although any damage you sustain that someone else is liable for could be a personal injury case. If you’ve been injured, you may be thinking about proceeding with a claim, and whether you should represent yourself or hire a personal injury attorney to help you. It’s generally advised not to self- represent in a personal injury case, and here are the reasons why. 1

2. Understanding Legal Jargon Unless you’ve studied law or a related subject, you’re unlikely to fully understand all the legal terms used during a claim and settlement. As well as this, you’ll need medical evidence of your injuries, and it’s important to have a sound medical knowledge to be able to interpret and explain the extent of your injuries properly. As a personal injury lawyer will be skilled and experienced in these two areas, it’s much better to save yourself the effort and time it would take to learn about them. Your attorney can always explain legal matters to you during a case if you need some clarification. Completing Paperwork Properly There isn’t just one personal injury form to fill out when making a claim. Instead, the process involves countless documents, the collection of evidence and filing a claim in the right court. As well as the legal knowledge needed to complete such forms correctly, you’d need to know which documentation to submit at which time, and understand what essential evidence you need to collect in order to support your claim. This is much easier with a personal injury attorney by your side, as they will give you a list of the medical evidence you’ll need as well as file the required paperwork quickly and efficiently. Negotiating for a Suitable Settlement When the time comes to represent yourself, whether this is in court or out of court, you’ll need to have the right negotiating skills. For starters, your attorney will be able to advise as to whether you have grounds for a claim in the first place, and will also know the kind of settlement figure you should expect to receive if you’re successful. Those who self-represent are at risk of either taking a payment that’s too low, or having unrealistically high expectations. For a favorable outcome, it’s best to remain grounded and look to legal professionals for guidance. If you think you have grounds for a personal injury claim, don’t try to represent yourself. Instead, contact a trustworthy personal injury lawyer for advice on how to proceed. 2

3. About D & Z Law Group, LLP: If you’re on the hunt for a personal injury attorney that’s going to be honest, dedicated and fight aggressively on your behalf during a personal injury claim, choose us at D & Z Law Group, LLP. We’re committed to providing a trustworthy and high quality legal representation to clients across the Los Angeles, CA area. Sources: Representing Yourself in Court, RocketLawyer.co.uk Should You Represent Yourself in Court? , Litigation.FindLaw.com 3