Speed Matters: Why You Must Act Quickly to Get Legal Counsel for a Personal Injury Claim
When you believe you need to file a personal injury lawsuit, acting quickly to get legal counsel is essential.
The longer you delay taking action, the weaker your case becomes, and the fewer options your personal injury attorney has to help you.
Waiting Too Long for Help
Recently a potential client came to us to discuss a possible personal injury case. He had been in an accident and had spent months attempting to resolve the matter without seeking legal counsel. He believed his insurance adjuster was not giving him a fair settlement. Could we help? Theoretically yes. But unfortunately, our options were limited. In Illinois, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury claim. This particular client came to us with 11 days remaining in the window of time allowed, known as a statute of limitations.
You do not want to wait this long. A qualified personal injury attorney will need time to evaluate your claim before determining whether they can file the case. More importantly, the attorney needs time to evaluate how much the case may be worth and how to frame the issues of the case in the filed complaint.
Why You Should Get Legal Advice Quickly
The better course of action is to seek legal counsel as quickly as the incident occurs. A qualified personal injury attorney will save you grief down the road by helping you address a number of issues that need attention sooner rather than later. For example:
- An effective attorney can save you time and expense. Just because you think you have a valid personal injury claim, it doesn’t mean you do. The sooner you get the facts on the strengths and weaknesses of your potential claim, the sooner you can make an informed decision about whether and how to proceed. If your claim does not hold water, a qualified personal injury attorney will tell you what you don’t want to hear but need to hear – but you’ll be glad you didn’t waste your time and money moving forward. On the other hand, if you have a valid claim, a good personal injury attorney will help you manage the legal process in the most cost-efficient way possible to achieve a desirable outcome.
- An attorney with experience will step in and help you make sure you take the appropriate steps in the crucial early going. For example, if you are involved in a traffic accident, it’s important to undertake a number of steps right away, such as filing a police report and photographing the site (as we discussed in this blog post, “Do These Things If You Are Involved in a Car Accident”). If you’ve been traumatized by an accident, it’s not easy to know what to do, and an attorney can help you every step along the way.
- The sooner you get a qualified attorney in your corner, the better equipped you are to navigate the difficult waters of a personal injury claim. A personal injury claim can be a difficult and confusing process. As we discussed in our post “Five Misconceptions About Insurance Companies in Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation Case,” powerful institutions that you believe are on your side may actually work against you.
Don’t panic and act rashly. But do act quickly to get help. That’s what personal injury attorneys are here for.
Call Capron Avgerinos & Heinlen
Call Capron Avgerinos & Heinlen now at 800-535-4542 if you need help with a personal injury case in Illinois or Iowa. As your Illinois and Iowa Injury Network, we are ready to assist you over the phone or in person. We perform our cases on a contingent fee basis, which means we are not paid unless you recover compensation for your claim. Call Capron Avgerinos & Heinlen at 800-535-4542. Let us show how we can deliver results (such as these) for you.
