You have the right to seek adequate and fair compensation for the damages caused by your injury from any responsible party, which typically includes past and future economic damages (medical expenses, lost wages or salary, etc.) and past and future non-economic damages (pain and suffering, scarring or disfigurement, emotional or psychological trauma, etc.) But this right is only as good as your ability to enforce it through our civil justice system. You have constitutional right to a trial by a jury of your peers which is the mechanism that actually causes most cases to settle. Responsible parties make settlement offers in order to avoid the risks of being judged by a jury made up of regular citizens exercising their common sense under the law.

You should always consult a lawyer to explain your legal rights and responsibilities so that you know your options. Then you can make your own decision. We offer a free consultation for this purpose, as well as to determine if you would benefit from legal representation. There are some cases which do not require an attorney, usually because of limited damages or insurance coverage. There are other cases in which an attorney is invaluable, typically because of liability disputes, serious injuries, unknown insurance coverage or other complex legal issues. In our initial consultation we advise you whether we think you need a lawyer to represent you or whether you can handle the claim on your own. The key question is whether an attorney can do substantially better pursuing your legal claim than you can do on your own. We bring the threat of trial by jury to the table which often is enough to force reasonable minds to prevail and settle the case. If not, we can try the case which clients usually cannot do on their own.