If you've been hurt as the result of someone's negligence, you may be confused as to how you should proceed. A few newsworthy cases have given the personal injury attorney a bad name in the public conscience, and it has made victims looking for judgments into gold diggers. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The "gold diggers," more often than not, are greedy corporations who will look for any loophole possible to avoid paying a fair and decent settlement to someone hurting due to their client's negligence. Sometimes, hiring a lawyer is the only way to fight the system.

Most settlements come quickly and easily. An insurance company knows that tying something up in the legal system for years is going to cost them much more than they would have spent originally. Of course, if you try to get this settlement without the help of a personal injury attorney, you may find that the offered settlement is well below the figure you had in mind. Again, this isn't about getting rich or hitting the lottery. Those with no experience with a situation such as this often have no idea how expensive a hospital stay can be. And medical bills are only one factor in the equation.

Many a personal injury attorney can tell stories all day about clients who were unable to work following their accident. As a result, they are not only encumbered by enormous bills, but they have no way to pay them. Their families suffer and bankruptcy looks better every day. There's no reason someone's life should be ruined because someone else failed to meet their obligations. If you were hurt because of someone's negligence, they should be held responsible to cover your lost wages, medical bills, and other expenses, as applicable.

Of course, you should be cautious moving forward. There are situations where hiring a personal injury attorney isn't necessarily in your best interests. Keep in mind that the lawyer is going to retain somewhere in the neighborhood of 30% of the settlement or judgment as their fee. If he or she is only able to get you a figure 30% higher than the insurance company offered in the first place, then you've wasted your time. This is why it pays to find a lawyer who is not only experienced and skilled, but one who will be honest with you about what you can expect moving forward. In some cases, hiring a lawyer is your best possible option. Learning to know which situation is which can take some research.