Hiring the wrong attorney can cost you everything.
Ok maybe that’s a bit melodramatic… but when serious injury or a product liability claim is on the line, who you hire matters more than you may realise.
Here’s the problem:
Not all lawyers are created equal. General practice attorneys cover everything from divorces to real estate contracts. Injury lawyers specialise in nothing but injury claims.
And that difference? It matters more than most people think.
Contents
- What Is a General Practice Lawyer?
- What Is a Personal Injury Specialist?
- Key Differences Between a General Practice Lawyer and a Personal Injury Specialist
- Why You Need a Product Liability Specialist
- How to Choose the Right Attorney
What Is a General Practice Lawyer?
Let’s start with the basics.
General practice lawyers assist clients with just about any legal need they have. Drafting a will one day. Helping with a commercial lease the next. Maybe a custody battle or small business contract later that week.
To be clear, these types of attorneys are great for everyday legal services. But here’s the thing…
They don’t specialise enough in any one practice area.
Personal injury law is complex. The laws, deadlines and strategies vary wildly depending on the type of accident you were involved in. If a general practice attorney only handles injury cases once or twice a month, they will never know enough to win your case.
What Is a Personal Injury Specialist?
Personal injury specialists only take on cases where someone was hurt because of someone else’s negligence.
Including:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Slip and Falls
- Medical Malpractice
- Product Liability Claims
- Workers’ Compensation Claims
These attorneys live and breathe injury law. That means they fully understand how insurance companies operate. They know how to build a case from day one. They know what to expect every step of the way.
If you’ve been hurt by a defective product or dangerous goods, knowing when to call a Virginia personal injury attorney with experience handling product liability cases can mean thousands in your pocket. Otherwise you could be preparing to walk away with nothing.
91% of injury victims who have an attorney get paid. Only 51% of those who file a claim without a lawyer receive compensation.
When thousands or even millions of dollars are at stake, those stats speak for themselves.
Key Differences Between a General Practice Lawyer and Personal Injury Specialist
Alright now we get into the meat of things…
Expertise and Experience
General practitioners have a broad understanding of many areas of law. Personal injury specialists have in depth knowledge of one subject.
Think about how complex injury law is…
Limitations of action. Evidence preservation. Medical expert testimony. Negotiating with insurance companies. Specialist level knowledge is required just to stay on top of each of those topics. Personal injury generalists fall way behind.
Resources
When you hire a personal injury attorney, you also gain access to their professional network.
This can include:
- Medical experts
- Accident reconstruction professionals
- Economic experts for lost earnings and future care costs
A general practice attorney will not have these relationships. In a product liability claim, these experts can make or break your case.
Negotiation Experience
Insurance companies can spot a skilled attorney from a mile away.
They know when they receive a demand letter from someone who has litigated cases just like yours time and time again. They understand that attorney has a history of winning and that hurts their bottom line.
Plaintiffs receive 3.5x more in their settlement than those who don’t have legal representation. Now think about the difference in negotiation skills between a specialist and a general practice attorney who only handles injury claims once in a blue moon.
Contingency Fee Basis
Most injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.
This means there are never any upfront costs and you do not owe the attorney anything unless you win your case. General lawyers typically charge by the hour. For cases that stretch on for months, those billable hours add up quick.
With contingency, the attorney only gets paid if they win.
That gives them every incentive to maximise your settlement or verdict. When both you and your attorney benefit from a larger payout, everyone wins.
Why You Need a Product Liability Specialist
Claims for defective products fall under a category of personal injury law known as product liability.
And yep… you guessed it. Product liability cases are some of the most complex out there.
Why?
A broken product could have been manufactured by the company who sold it to you. It could have been built by a separate manufacturer we’ve never heard of. Or maybe it contains a defective part made by another company entirely.
Figuring out who is liable may require forensic testing on the product itself. Not to mention an in-depth knowledge of defective products law.
Product liability has a median payout of over $700,000. That’s higher than any other personal injury category.
Less than 3 to 4% of all personal injury claims ever see the inside of a courtroom. So wins and settlements almost always come down to negotiation tactics and how each case was prepared. You want someone who negotiates these cases every day on your side.
How to Choose the Right Attorney
If you’re already reading this far, you’re on your way to choosing the right kind of attorney for your case. But here are a few questions to ask before you hire anyone:
- How many injury cases have you handled?
- Do you have specific experience with product liability cases?
- What kind of settlements and verdicts have you won?
- Will I pay you upfront fees or is this a contingency based case?
The right personal injury specialist can point to real world results. Not just how long they’ve been practicing, but actual settlements and verdicts they have won. Examples of going up against massive manufacturers and big companies with unlimited resources. How they plan on handling your case from start to finish.
Personal injury attorneys across the United States collectively make up a $61 BILLION industry.
That is huge simply because of how many Americans are filing injury claims each year. And it should tell you just how important having the right specialist fighting for you can be.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to personal injury claims, general practice lawyers vs personal injury specialists is a no brainer.
Need a lawyer to help you with paperwork? By all means, see a general practice attorney.
But were dealing with someone’s negligence that caused you serious injury. You need an experienced product liability attorney on your side who fights big insurance companies every day for a living.
The right call can mean thousands in your pocket. The wrong decision could cost you everything.
