Do I need a personal injury lawyer in Lexington, KY?
Knowing when to hire a personal injury lawyer is a common question that injury victims have. If you are questioning whether or not to pursue a personal injury case, you need to consider a few scenarios where hiring an attorney will be beneficial.
When you need to prove negligence
When filing a personal injury claim, the plaintiff must show that the at-fault party’s negligence caused the injuries. Although there are various sorts of personal injury cases, there are four components of proving negligence that must be established to receive compensation:
- Duty: the other party owed you a duty (for example, to follow the rules of the road).
- Breach: the other party breached this duty and responsibility.
- Causation: your damages were caused by the other party breaching their duty.
- Damages: in order to recover compensation, you must prove that you suffered damages.
A Lexington personal injury lawyer with the right resources can help establish each of these factors on your behalf while strengthening your case through gathering evidence and investigations.
When there is a question of fault
In a personal injury lawsuit, determining fault and the percentage of fault assigned to each party can significantly impact the amount of compensation received through a settlement or jury award, often resulting in thousands of dollars. In Lexington, KY, hiring an experienced personal injury attorney can assist in proving fault, and can also help mitigate any fault that may be attributed to you, which could have an impact on the compensation you receive for your injuries.
Lexington follows Kentucky’s pure comparative fault law
Under Kentucky law, pure comparative negligence means that you can be up to 99% responsible for your injuries and still be entitled to compensation. It is, however, also important to understand that the percentage fault that is assigned to you will directly impact the compensation you’re entitled to receive.
For example, if you were injured in a car accident and you suffered damages of $10,000 and the other party was assigned 100% of the fault, you would be entitled to the entire $10,000. However, if you are assigned 50% of the fault in the crash, you would only be entitled to $5,000.
Of course, the percentage of fault can be determined in many ways, and an experienced Lexington personal injury lawyer can be extremely helpful by minimizing your share of fault so that you can recover the most money possible.
When you want to receive the most money possible
In their extensive study called “Attorney Involvement in Auto Injury Claims,” The Insurance Research Council compared the compensation amounts received by individuals with similar injuries based on whether they were represented by a personal injury lawyer or not.
The research findings revealed a significant difference: those who had legal representation received almost three and a half times more money, even after accounting for attorney fees.
Although every injury case is different, having skilled Lexington personal injury attorneys on your side can ensure you walk away with every dollar you deserve.