How to decide if you need a lawyer for your San Francisco car accident case
One question people injured in car accidents in San Francisco, Oakand, and all over the Bay Area have been asking me for many years is whether or not they should hire an attorney to handle their injury claims. Of course, they know that an lawyer is not an unbiased source of information on this question. But it's my duty to give the most even-handed advice I can. If I don't think I can add value to the client's bottom line recovery, I will not take a case. For some small cases, with a fairly quick, full recovery, the answer is no, you may not need an attorney. In that type of case, even the lower settlement you get may be about equal to what you could pocket after attorney's fees and costs were deducted from a higher settlement. Small claims court is another viable option for people who are comfortable presenting their case to a judge, and the recovery limit was raised to $7,500 a few years ago.
But for cases much beyond the small claims court limit, a good personal injury lawyer will most often be able to get you much more in your pocket than you could achieve on your own. Insurance carriers just don't take unrepresented injury claimants very seriously. They know that they won't be able to evaluate the true worth of the case, and that they will probably just settle for what they can get. Also, most of us who don't do it for a living are poor negotiators--just look at what happens at car dealerships. The major auto insurance carriers also rank lawyers, and settlements can vary depending on who you choose. They know that some lawyers like to settle other cases, and that others will take them to court and fight until their client's claim is compensated fairly.
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