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Factors to Consider Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Factors to Consider Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Meeting with an accident brings multiple setbacks in one’s life – disorientation, injury, disability, emotional trauma, hefty medical bills, and more. The legal process of claim and compensation doesn’t make things any easier, either. If one has been hurt or injured by the negligence of another person, company, or driver, it is possible to seek compensation for one’s medical bills and other related expenses. This is when accident or personal injury lawyers come into the picture.

What are personal injury lawyers, and what do they do?
Personal injury lawyers work in the field of tort law, set up mainly to govern civil wrongs. Any person who injures another person either accidentally or deliberately is liable to pay compensation to the aggrieved party.

Personal injury lawyers advocate for their clients before and during the trial and recover financial compensation for the injuries suffered – both physical and psychological. They perform all the tasks that a lawyer usually performs, such as gathering evidence, drafting the case, preparing briefs and pleadings, negotiating with the insurance company, etc.

They specialize in traffic collisions, slip and fall accidents, defective products, nursing home abuse, workplace injuries, medical malpractice, transportation accidents, boating accidents, aviation accidents, pedestrian accidents, animal bite injuries, child daycare negligence, etc.

Is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney?
One may resolve a personal injury case on one’s own, but hiring a lawyer makes the process easier and advantageous since the expert is aware of all the legal rights of the aggrieved party. In addition, most personal injury claims are settled without going to trial.

More often than not, accident victims only consider the short-term impact of their accident, including their medical bills, insurance claims, and repairs. But a personal injury lawyer is trained to determine the short-term as well as the lifelong impact of accidents in a variety of situations.

Benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer
They file personal injury claims on one’s behalf
They bring knowledge, skill, and experience to one’s case
They negotiate better compensation
They review insurance policy details, send demand letters for damages, and handle all communications with the insurance company.
Their awareness of medical malpractice can ensure one receives proper care while recuperating.
They bring emotional advantage and peace of mind since accidents can cause post-traumatic stress and emotional trauma.
They investigate the case, collect damage reports, track witnesses, procure police reports, surveillance footage, and witness statements, and gather other facts relating to the nature and extent of injury to prove the liability.
They prepare a legal complaint against the defendant if damages remain unpaid.
They send interrogatories to the defendant asking for certain information
If the case doesn’t settle outside court, they represent the client at trial
They guide their client through arbitration, an alternative to solving a dispute.

When to hire a personal injury lawyer?
There is no need for legal counsel in every case. For instance, an aggrieved party has sustained minimal injuries, suffered a minor accident, and already has a fair settlement offer from the offending party.

However, it is advisable to consult a personal injury lawyer when:
The case has too many complications, and the parties involved
One is unsure who shares the liability amongst multiple parties
The settlement offer is unreasonable
The insurance company denies payment of the claim despite the offending party’s fault.

How much do personal injury lawyers charge?
Most lawyers charge fees by the hour for their services. But personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means their fee is a percentage of what their client ultimately receives in compensation. They take a share of their client’s winnings as fees, ranging from 25% to 40%. Most lawyers also include legal costs in this settlement to ensure their clients can maximize their claims.

Conversely, since personal injury lawyers finance the case on their own and won’t get paid until their clients get compensation, they are careful with choosing cases. They tend to represent only those sure to get a favorable verdict. They also are likely to decline cases where the claim is marginal. This is mostly due to a law firm’s high operational costs, making it unprofitable for lawyers to take on minor matters.

What is fair compensation for accidents?
The amount one receives as compensation depends on the severity of one’s injuries and is unique to each case. Some of the factors considered for compensation include how much is the loss of one’s earning capability and income, and one’s emotional and mental distress, health care and clinical expenses, loss of consortium, loss of marriage possibilities, etc. On average, most car accident claims settle in the range of $5,000 to $25,000, depending on the case.

How to find the right personal injury lawyer?
The law in the country has grown highly specialized. As an aggrieved party, it’s essential to find a lawyer with experience representing claimants (a person making a claim in a lawsuit) in personal injury claims. One can collect a list of lawyers who can potentially make a good representation via online websites and referrals from trusted colleagues, friends, and family who have been represented previously. Feel free to ask for the lawyer’s previous experience and success rate with their clientele. Remember that even if a lawyer shows years of experience in the law field on paper, cross verify if they have represented similar cases.

Even if one works with a lawyer, one may opt for settlement outside court if the compensation offered is satisfactory. Conversely, there’s no guarantee that one may win anything after a court trial. So it’s best to take a call based on one’s judgment and the severity and complexity of the situation. We hope this post has helped you understand about personal injury lawyers in detail. 

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Find Jobs Nearby With These 9 Easy Tips

Getting a job in your area can cut down on the amount of time spent commuting to and from work, giving you more downtime. Add to it the perks of spending time with family and friends and the ability to nurture a work-life balance. Working close to home can also help improve work productivity as it takes away the stress of travel. So, check out these simple ways to find a job in your area. Broaden your social network Networking helps improve the chances of finding suitable local jobs. Your friends, former colleagues, and even previous employers can help you get in touch with recruiters around town. Also, portals such as LinkedIn can help you connect with local professionals from your field. You can turn on job alerts with your preferred location and get regular notifications on the website/app. Request referrals Companies offer incentives to existing employees for providing referrals for vacant positions. If you know a friend or a fellow professional who may be in a position to refer you to their employer for a role, do not hesitate to ask. If the company hires you, your referrer will also receive a decent commission for their input. You can even inquire about referrals on social media platforms and mainstream portals and send official requests for referrals. Explore traditional avenues Before online portals became popular, newspapers and weekly magazine newsletters would primarily list all the available jobs in your area. Many small and medium businesses still adopt this practice to attract local talent. You can also visit career fairs organized by town planning committees that encourage mass recruitment. Recruiters set up booths on behalf of their organization to discuss new employment opportunities. They may even conduct the first round of interviews on the spot to shortlist potential candidates. Check out online classified ads Try looking through local and niche classified ads online to considerably narrow down your search. There are several active platforms that regularly list and update local jobs. For example, Craigslist has an entire category dedicated to locating jobs in your area. You can even use filters such as full-time, part-time, or contract work for precise search results. Even social media platforms like Facebook feature community groups and company pages that list available vacancies. So, explore all available avenues to increase the odds of finding the right opportunity. Contact local employment agencies Employment agencies can identify suitable vacancies in your area, especially if you are new to the city or are switching careers. They have dedicated career counselors who analyze the candidate’s education and work experience and consider their interests and preferences to recommend suitable roles. You can alternatively contact individual headhunters who work as freelancers for companies to fill up vacant positions. These agencies and headhunters typically charge a fee for their professional services. Check company websites Make a list of local companies that you wish to work for. Not all companies update available vacancies or even post detailed requirements on job portals or social media platforms. So, it might be a better idea to look for vacancies as well as apply for the role on your preferred company’s official website. Company websites list specific qualifications and skills required for the role. They even provide a brief job description. This makes it easier for you to compare available opportunities across organizations and make an informed decision. Most such sites feature a dedicated careers page that gives a brief overview of the company’s mission, values, work culture, rewards, and benefits. It is also possible to find the contact details of the talent acquisition team on this page. Contact your alumni groups Actively reaching out to peers and members of your social groups improves your chances of finding jobs in your area. Tap into every available connection, starting with your college alumni group. Seniors or other job holders share updates about vacancies in their organization from time to time. You can also contact your professors to inquire about openings in companies that have previously hired people from your academic circle. Explore walk-in opportunities Many local businesses and companies conduct walk-in interviews for positions that need to be filled urgently. For example, retail businesses, restaurants, hospitality services, and even public utility companies can conduct on-the-spot interviews with a large number of candidates. As an appointment is not required, you can ask the recruiter for an application form and submit your resume and relevant documents in person. Employers usually share details about the role, along with those regarding salary, perks and benefits, and work timings. Most places conduct multiple rounds of interviews on the same day. The hiring decision is announced immediately after the interview. As the process for walk-in interviews is quick, you end up saving a lot of time compared with other forms of recruitment. Follow up If you are applying for several roles or at least speaking to local recruiters often, keep track of your applications and maintain the contact details of hiring managers. Staying organized helps you effectively monitor the status of all your applications in case you need to follow up. Sometimes recruiters may be swamped with applications. A polite reminder or a follow-up email can make them take a second look at your application and share an update regarding your candidature. Further, keep in touch with the recruiters who have previously interacted with you. They may reach out as and when an opportunity arises.

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8 Tips to Help Seniors Save Money on Internet and Cable Bills

Most people who are 65-and-up are accustomed to simple cable and internet plans. Such packages generally had straightforward benefits and simple, cost-effective prices. However, with telecommunication technology evolving by the minute, the new plans are not just difficult to understand but also expensive for individuals who have to spend more from their savings or their pension. So, here are eight tips to help seniors save money on their cable or internet bills. Slice out channels that are never watched Most people, including seniors, pay for hundreds of tv channels by the month. These channels include multiple avenues such as the news, music, movies, tv shows, sports, and more. However, when one thinks about it, of all the channels a person pays for, they probably watch just a handful of them. So stopping channels that are never or rarely watched can help save quite a bit of money. For example, if a person pays $5 for about 50 unwatched channels, it may not look like much. However, in twelve months, that amount adds up to $60, which could otherwise be saved and spent on other essential utilities. Negotiate a better deal An easy and effective method of saving money on internet and cable bills is by speaking directly to the customer service provider. And one can do this either over a call, email, or chat for quick resolutions. For instance, one might pay for an unlimited data plan but use only 20 Gb a month, which means the customer does not need such a plan. They should call up the service provider and negotiate a better deal. The best way to find a plan is by going through past bills and coming up with an average amount of data spent in a month. Paying for only the data used can help save hundreds of dollars over the year. Pay attention to overage charges Several customers often come across a situation where there are bizarre internet charges on their monthly bills. It's only when an inquiry is made that one realizes they've gone overboard with the data allotted to them. We recommend speaking to the service provider about setting a data cap on the plan to avoid the fiasco. This way, the customer can receive an alert when they are almost at the end of their current plan. And when the internet is exhausted, the cap will prevent them from using extra, eventually preventing overage charges. Furthermore, an ideal way of using more internet if needed is by adding at least 5 Gb more to what the senior may expect to use in a month. We recommended adding the additional data so that the individual is not helpless in case of an emergency. Get offers from competitors There are no limitations to the number of deals from service providers in the country. So if a customer feels like they are overpaying for a package with their current provider, they should look for other options. Chances are they will find a much better deal when they migrate to another company as a new customer. What's more, most service providers hate to lose customers, especially if they have been with the brand for years. So when the users get a better deal, they must ask their current provider to match the price or make a better offer. This way, the odds may turn in the senior citizen's favor, and the service provider may offer a discount on the existing plan. Look for low-income household discounts There are special internet offers curated for households with low incomes. So if an individual with a low income might be able to save a significant amount on their internet or cable bills, this is possible because the internet is considered a subsidy because of its role in daily life. But they must qualify for the plan to get the appropriate discount. Furthermore., the user should bear in mind that the plans are affordable because they deliver the most basic services. Reduce unlimited speeds There's a possibility that the customer might need an unlimited plan, but not super-fast speeds. One may only require the internet for their smartphone and laptop for casual streaming or basic tasks. In such situations, we recommend speaking to the company about lowering the internet speed to the desired limit. So if a plan costs $50 for a 100 Mbps unlimited plan, they may get the same plan at 50 Mbps speeds for $30 a month. That is a savings of $240 over twelve months. Jump to satellite Satellite Tv is lesser known among individuals, but even this technology has evolved over the years. An individual who goes for satellite Tv will only have to install a compact and powerful dish that can deliver a reliable service. This process allows the customer to watch their favorite channels at a much lower price than cable Tv. Furthermore, a user who informs their cable provider about switching to satellite Tv may also be offered retention discounts. Bag the Seniors' Discount Getting a seniors' discount is probably the most essential thing to do when it comes to saving money as a senior. Multiple major service providers in the country offer discounts to older customers. There is an eligibility criterion where the discounted package is given to individuals between the age of 55 and 65 years old. To check if one qualifies for the offer, they can visit the provider's website or call in to enquire about the same. Some offers may be available to only AARP membership customers. Here, the annual cost is low, and also offers attractive savings. If used appropriately, the AARP membership dues may pay for themselves multiple times. Such members are also eligible for bonuses and special perks, which accumulate huge savings over thousands of dollars annually.

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