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When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

If we are lucky, we won’t ever need a personal injury lawyer. But if the need arises, you may be overwhelmed with everything facing you. Picking the best personal injury law firm may seem too hard, especially when you are already dealing with doctors, the insurance company, and more.

It can be hard to know when to hire a personal injury attorney, or if you even need one at all. While you can represent yourself on smaller personal injury cases, if you were seriously hurt or there is some dispute as to liability, your best bet is to hire a lawyer. In most situations, you should reach out to a lawyer as soon as possible after an accident to protect your rights.

A San Rafael personal injury lawyer will advocate for you throughout the process, starting with a free consultation about your claim. You won’t need to pay anything upfront, and will only pay an attorney’s fee if you recover compensation. 

Do I Need a Personal Injury Attorney?

In the modern era, you can figure out how to do almost anything by yourself by googling or searching YouTube for a how-to video. There are situations where this makes sense — like if you need to put a new tube into your bike tire. In other cases, you are better off working with a professional.

If you have been hurt in an accident, you may be able to represent yourself. This is particularly true for accidents where you have relatively minor injuries and little to no property damage. For example, if your neighbor hit your car while backing out of their driveway, it probably makes sense to handle the claim with their insurance company on your own.

But there are times where your best bet is to hire a skilled California personal injury lawyer. This is particularly true in cases where you have suffered serious injuries, where there is a question as to fault, or where the insurance company is denying or delaying your claim.  Your attorney will fight for your right to full compensation, consulting with experts to determine your future medical needs, investigating the facts of the case, and researching the law to advocate for the maximum recovery available.

According to a study by the Insurance Research Council, working with a personal injury attorney can help to maximize your settlement. People who have legal representation achieve settlements that are 3.5 times larger than those who represent themselves. 85% of all insurance company settlements are made with claimants who are represented by counsel.

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Once you have decided to work with an attorney, the next question is when you should hire a personal injury law firm. To understand the answer to this question, you first need to know about California’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims.

A statute of limitations is a deadline for filing a legal case. If you do not file a claim without that period of time, then your claim will be barred.  All types of legal matters have statutes of limitations, such as limits on when a prosecutor can file criminal charges against a person for a particular type of crime.

The statute of limitations for California personal injury claims is 2 years. This means that — with a few limited exceptions — you must file a personal injury lawsuit within 2 years after the date of the accident. If you fail to do so, then you won’t be able to sue the at-fault party and recover compensation for your losses.

2 years may seem like a long period of time. But when you are recovering from an accident, your days may fill up quickly with doctor’s appointments, therapies, and other treatments — and that 2 years may pass quickly.  You may be surprised to find that you have a very limited window in which to file a claim against the person who caused your injuries.

In addition, it takes time for a lawyer to build a strong case. The sooner that you reach out to a personal injury attorney, the sooner that they will be able to start investigating and researching the law. They can also begin to negotiate a settlement for your injuries, which means that you will get paid more quickly.

Your lawyer can also handle all communications with the insurance company on your behalf, which can remove a big burden from your shoulders. By reaching out to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, you can focus on your recovery instead of taking calls from insurance adjusters.

Why Hire Kuvara Law?

When you search for a “personal injury attorney near me,” you will likely get a long list of law firms. But how do you find the lawyer who is right for you?

We believe that Kuvara Law is the best personal injury law firm in California. Our team has more than 40 years of combined experience handling California personal injury claims, giving us the legal knowledge that you need to get the best possible outcome. We have skilled, seasoned staff to ensure that your case is handled properly and that you are updated throughout every step of the way.

Negotiating with the insurance company can be hard. Our lawyers know how to handle these types of negotiations, using their decades of experience and knowledge of California personal injury law. We won’t back down — and are willing to take your case to trial if necessary to get the highest possible recovery for your claim. We will fight hard to increase the maximum value of your case.

If you need help getting medical treatment, we can help. We work with doctors who will work on liens, which means that they won’t require payment upfront. Instead, they will be paid out of proceeds of any settlement or verdict in your case.

We also work directly with investigators to build your case. Our investigators will find and interview witnesses, locate video footage, and put together a timeline of events to prove that the other party was at fault for your accident.

Finally, with Kuvara Law, you will have peace of mind in knowing that you are working with a top-notch personal injury firm. We know how stressful this experience can be. We treat each of our clients with compassion and understanding and allow you to focus on getting better while we take care of your legal claim.

How We Can Help

If you have been hurt in any type of accident, you may not know where to turn. At Kuvara Law, we are here for you. We’ll fight to get you the highest possible recovery, standing by your side throughout the process.

Our law firm offers free initial consultations, where we will explain your rights and options for moving forward with a case. If you decide to work with us, we won’t charge you anything upfront. 

To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact us today at (415) 479-7070 or email us at any time.

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