Insights into when to hire a personal injury lawyer by Tim Louis

 

When should I hire a personal injury lawyer?

As soon as you have suffered a personal injury, you should hire a personal injury lawyer familiar with this area of law. The party that may be responsible for your injury, such as a store if you suffered a slip and fall or a dog owner if you suffered a dog bite, may have insurance. The insurance company will almost certainly attempt to get you to minimize your injuries and your claim. The insurance adjuster may even suggest that you were/are partially or fully responsible for your injury.

It is very important that you hire a lawyer before you are interviewed by the insurance company’s adjuster. Your lawyer will prepare you in advance for any such interview. There are many standard insurance adjuster questions that you can be familiar with before you are interviewed.

For instance:

• If you suffered a slip and fall or trip and fall, you may be asked if you consumed any alcohol or drugs, prescription or non-prescription, in the 24 hours prior to your injury.
• You may be asked what type of shoes you were wearing.
• You may be asked how many hours of sleep you received the night before.
• You may be asked if you had an appointment coming up, and depending upon your answer, the adjuster will be able to argue that you must have been in a rush.
• If your injury resulted from a fall down stairs, you will almost certainly be asked if you were hanging on to the handrail and whether or not you were carrying any thing or object such as a purse.

 

Areas of Practice

I have been practicing in the area of personal injury for over three decades. I have acted for clients that suffered injuries due to falling down stairs, slipping/tripping on a foreign substance (such as a liquid or an item) on the floor of retail outlets, dog bites, tooth injuries resulting from a foreign object in a food product, and physical assault.

 

Dealing with Insurance companies

Insurance companies are not your friend. They make their profits by paying out less settling claims when they collect in premiums. You will almost certainly get a better settlement represented by a lawyer than if you are unrepresented. When I act for an injured client it is always my goal to get a settlement without going to trial that is equal to what a court would have awarded if we did go to trial. The best way to avoid a trial is to prepare for a trial.

 

Liability for Property Owners

Property owners are responsible for keeping their property safe for visitors. This means:

• Keeping pathways clear of snow and ice in the winter and clear of leaves the rest of the year.
• Making sure that all stairways conform to the municipal building code.
• If the property owner is a landlord they must adjust the temperature setting on the hot water tank as required by the municipal regulations so that tenants are not at risk of being burned.

 

Proving Liability – Personal Injury Legal Tips

I am known as an aggressive lawyer. I have never had difficulty proving liability. In part, this because I thoroughly prepare my clients. In part this is because I hire experts to confirm liability whenever appropriate. I will not spare any cost to fight for my clients. In part, this is because I thoroughly prepare before I discover the defendant at examinations for discovery.

 

Why hire Personal Injury Lawyer Tim Louis?

For breakfast, I do not eat cornflakes – I eat insurance companies. I really enjoy going to bat for clients that have been injured no matter what the cause of their injury. I have been suing at fault parties and dealing with their insurance companies for over three decades. As my online reviews will attest, I get the job done.

Contact Personal Injury Lawyer Tim Louis for a free consultation at 604-732-7678 or timlouis@timlouislaw.com

 

Further Reading – Personal Injury Law

Injured at work?
Reporting Injuries