According to a survey conducted by Patino Law Firm of McAllen and San Antonio, Texas, a significant number of Americans believe that a personal injury lawyer can help them get more money after an accident. This view was further echoed by a report by Google Surveys, with 42.7% of respondents stating that a personal injury attorney is crucial to getting more compensation in the aftermath of an injury or property damage.
Personal injury law encompasses a wide area of expertise, with a few areas covered being slips and trips in public places and automobile accidents. Numerous Texas personal injury attorneys are also tasked with tackling oilfield accidents, a factor likely linked to the region’s high number of oil wells.
With the use of a contingency fee plan, it is no wonder that most clients prefer hiring a personal injury lawyer to tackle their case, given that payment only happens when the lawyer wins the settlement. The survey conducted in Texas and neighboring southern states shows that a whopping 40.9% of respondents are confident that they would hire a lawyer. Only 12.5% of respondents state that they would consider handling their own case, with the remainder 46.6% being indecisive about whether or not they would consider getting a lawyer. In hindsight, the latter group is likely not to have found themselves in any situation requiring the services of a lawyer, hence the hesitance to get one.
With insurance companies often making quick settlements in the hope that the injured parties will accept any offer to allow them to get back to their lives, personal injury lawyers are the solution to helping such parties get better compensation. When asked if they would fight for a better deal or settle for a quick offer, 17.3% of respondents said they would likely take the second option, with 19.8% stating they would fight to get more. In contrast, 8.4% would be willing to take any offer put forward even if it was low, with 54.5% stating they had no opinion on the matter.
When the same respondents were asked to give their view of personal injury attorneys, 21% believed that the attorneys were only after the money, while 59.9% did not have an opinion. Only 15.3% said that the attorneys represented their victims to help them get justice and 3.8% believed that the services of a personal injury attorney were essential after an accident.
