As a specialist in injury law I’m often asked this question. With years of experience I feel pretty safe saying “no“. The reality is that the insurance company adjuster that you are dealing with has been trained in negotiating the best deals he/she can for the insurance company. Remember that the insurance companies’ profits depend upon paying you the lowest amount that they can get away with. They are trained to know the ‘rules of the game’ — are you?
An experienced personal injury lawyer will know the ‘rules of the game’ and will ensure that you get the maximum amount that you are entitled to. Taking into account that you will have to pay a percentage of your settlement to the lawyer, my experience has been that you will still almost always end up further ahead financially. You will also know that your claim for damages has been dealt with properly and that you have not left any portions of your claim ‘on the table’. Hiring a lawyer should give you peace of mind that your claim will be dealt with properly and settled at the right time for the right amount. I like to be able to say to my clients at the end of our first meeting:
go get better; I’ll deal with all the headaches from the insurance company.