Know Your Rights

If you've suffered a personal injury because of the negligence of another person or a company, you have the right to compensation. The process of collecting that compensation, however, relies on a series of other rights.

First and foremost, you have the right to hire the personal injury lawyer of your choosing. This includes the right NOT to deal directly with the other party's insurance company. Many of your other rights are best protected by exercising this right wisely, since your personal injury attorney will be the primary champion of your rights. In choosing a personal injury attorney, you should seek someone who will:

Show you respect;
Keep you fully informed of the progress of your personal injury case;
Handle your case professionally;
Keep in contact with you and return calls promptly;
Be honest;
Keep your case moving forward; and
Be committed to your case and your interests.

The insurance industry has done a very effective job of blanketing the media with the idea that personal injury claims are frivolous, and are somehow responsible for high insurance rates. That attitude might make you uncomfortable with litigation-and in a sense that's good. No one should file a frivolous claim or start a law suit just to "get even." But if you've truly been injured, if you've suffered physical pain, lost work time, damage to property, increased or unexpected medical expenses and the like, you have a right to be compensated for those losses. You're not looking to "make money off the insurance company," but to make up for what you lost because of the accident. That's what insurance is for.

The insurance companies may not want to pay out on claims, but that doesn't change the nature of their business. They contracted with the person or company responsible for your personal injury and promised to pay for injuries like yours-and no matter how much bad press they might generate about personal injury lawsuits, you have the right to be compensated for your personal injuries, to be "made whole" again.

In fact, your case may have a positive impact on society. Often litigation forces a manufacturer to remove a dangerous product from the market, or to make changes to increase the safety of the product. Landowners are encouraged to put up fencing or clean up hazardous areas when faced with litigation-and news of that litigation impacts other manufacturers and landowners as well. Our legal system was designed to allow individuals like you to recover for your losses, and to hold companies-even insurance companies-accountable.

For more information visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com