Personal injury lawyers play a significant role in this country. They work long hours to protect the rights and financial future of victims. Personal injury lawyers often get a bad rap and are mocked and criticized for creating a sue-happy society. However, that could not be more wrong.
In 2015 alone, 3.477 people died as a result of distracted drivers and thousands of others have been injured. It is estimated that over 660,000 people each day use their cell phones while driving despite how dangerous it is to do so. On average 28 people die each day because of a drunk driver, and again, thousands more are injured.
Thousands of people die and are injured each year from vehicle accidents involving a semi-truck. According to the United States Department of Transportation, nearly 25% of all accidents involving a semi-truck are the result of the truck driver traveling too fast for the road conditions. Another 13% of those accidents are found to be caused by driver fatigue. These are both the result of trucking companies placing dangerous expectations on their drivers and not accounting for weather or construction. Commercial truckers on the road are expected to travel long distances in a short period of time, which forces them to go as fast as they can for as long as they can.
In all of these accidents, regardless of whether it was caused by a distracted driver, a drunk driver, or a truck driver, regardless of whether someone died or was injured, people?s lives are turned upside down. Families are left with devastating loss, emotional distress, and financial burdens from unexpected medical bills and missed work.
Insurance companies will do whatever they can to settle the accident as quickly as they can and for as little money as they can. They will attempt to contact and interview the victim while still at the hospital or immediately following the accident when they are still in shock and then use what they said against them later.
It is the personal injury lawyers that work to protect their clients. They seek to get the financial compensation victims need to be made whole again, which includes all medical expenses, loss wages, and emotional distress. They can offer hope in one of the hardest times, and they won’t stop until the victims get everything they need and deserve.
In accidents involving a fatality, families are often left with less income and support. Children lose parents, spouses lose each other. It can be devastating on so many levels. While your personal injury attorney cannot bring back your loved one or ease the pain, they can make sure you are compensated enough to make up for the lost family income. They can make sure you don’t lose your home and you can still care for your children.
Personal injury lawyers are not to blame for our sue-happy society. It is the insurance companies that try to take advantage of people during periods of emotional turmoil that have created this situation because they force attorneys to step in and make demands on behalf of their clients, which should have been common sense. Victims are forced to fight to protect themselves and their families following a traumatic event.
When you or a loved on is involved in an accident, it is essential that you call a personal injury lawyer before talking to anyone. Representatives from the insurance company will call quickly and try to get you to say things they can use against you. Do not answer any questions until you’ve spoken with your lawyer, and then allow them to represent you.
