Have you been injured in a car accident or workplace incident in the state of Florida? When someone is injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, you have some important decisions to make. Aside from receiving appropriate medical care immediately after the accident, you’ll need to decide if you want to hire a personal injury lawyer or handle your injury claim on your own.

Thanks to factors like advertising and some prevalent misconceptions (especially here in Florida), people often choose not to even speak with a personal injury lawyer in this situation. They put their faith in the insurance claim process and are often left with a payout that will barely cover their resulting injuries. Without the expert-level knowledge that an experienced attorney can provide, it may be difficult for an individual to determine what the true value of their personal injury claim is.

A client and an experienced trial personal injury lawyer shake hands following a consultation.

The Cliff Notes: Key Takeaways From This Post

  • 1
    The Insurance Research Council estimates that injured people get 3.5 times more money with a lawyer, while 71%-91% of settlements are with a lawyer.
  • 2
    An experienced personal injury lawyer can provide expert advice and help prevent missing critical deadlines.
  • 3
    Insurance carriers respect attorneys with strong trial experience and an established reputation.
  • 4
    A skilled attorney can counteract defense tactics employed by insurance carriers.
  • 5
    Personal injury lawyers understand what evidence is needed to prove a case, account for long-term implications of the injuries, help claim insurance coverage and accurately calculate the costs of damages.
  • 6
    Experienced firms use contingency fee agreements to enable their clients to cover fees without having to pay upfront.

Some Stats Worth Reviewing Before You Decide

The Insurance Research Council estimated that, on average, injured people get 3.5 times more money, even after reducing the settlement by the contingency fee.

Notably, most of these statistics do not even take into account the fact that 71%-91% of all settlements are with a lawyer, which indicates that a lot of people who try to go at it alone end up with nothing.

9 Reasons Florida Personal Injury Lawyers With Trial Experience Are the Best

1. Get Helpful Guidance From A Legal Expert

An experienced personal injury lawyer will provide expert advice about everything from how to file a car insurance claim after an accident to recommended medical care for your pain. Ask anyone who has gone through the personal injury claim process in Florida and they’ll tell you how stressful it can be. You’ll be stepping into a situation that can be demanding, confusing and downright scary to maneuver when you’re inexperienced.  The insurance company for the at-fault person will fight the claim if full compensation is sought, but at least you can have a true expert in the field to answer your questions.

2. Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You Avoid Missing Critical Deadlines

If you are choosing to pursue your personal injury claim on your own in Florida, you’ll likely receive a settlement offer quickly from the insurance carrier. Either that or they’ll deny their claim if any important deadlines are missed on your part (you’re going to have to act quickly if you’re pursuing a claim on your own).

If the adjuster can drag their feet long enough, you will already have harmed your case through inaction or you may feel like the initial settlement offer truly is the best they can do. The reality is often quite different, but that is almost never realized unless the case is taken to court. Insurance carriers employ their own team of attorneys for this very situation, so why wouldn’t you at least want to speak to an attorney in this situation.

Our personal injury attorneys are highly experienced in court and ready to go toe to toe with insurance carriers and their legal teams. Remember our initial consultation is free, so you are only doing yourself a serious disservice when you don’t take action following an accident in Florida.

Client review from past personal injury claim case in Florida.

3. Insurance Carriers Respect Personal Injury Attorneys With Strong Trial Experience

In the modern era, most insurance carriers have access to a database with details on practicing personal injury attorneys. Reputation plays a critical role in an attorney’s career and needs to be carefully cultivated. Herman & Wells has developed a prominent reputation in Pinellas, FL for successful verdicts against large ins