You Shouldn’t Feel Embarrassed About Pursuing the Compensation You’re Entitled to for Injuries Caused by Another’s Negligence. Learn Why.
In New Jersey, an individual injured or experiences property damage due to another individual or entity’s negligent actions is entitled to compensation for their damages so they can be made whole again. While there is nothing shameful about seeking compensation as a personal injury victim, some people are embarrassed to pursue their claim for various reasons. However, by failing to seek compensation for their damages, injury victims can be left not only to struggle physically as they heal but also financially. Financial struggle can, in turn, impact their ability to seek the medical care they need, provide for their livelihood, and take care of their family. In short, there is no reason to feel embarrassed about recovering damages after an accident and failing to pursue compensation can worsen your situation.
Why Victims Shy Away from Personal Injury Claims
There are many unexpected aspects of accidents, and the victim feeling embarrassed to file a claim for compensation is one of them. Yet, it’s not as uncommon to feel embarrassed about filing a personal injury claim as one might imagine for various reasons. Reasons for the embarrassment range from fear of judgment from friends, family, or work colleagues to a very ingrained commitment to self-reliance. Some people also hold a pre-existing stereotype that personal injury claims are somehow rooted in opportunistic deceit.
If the injury victim had any responsibility in the accident or believes that they could have done something differently, then may also be experiencing some shame or guilt that causes them to feel embarrassed to bring a personal injury claim against the other party involved. Some individuals even conflate a decision to emotionally forgive the negligent party with the ability to rightfully collect damages, resulting in a feeling of embarrassment or even selfishness at the idea of filing a claim for recovery.
The Truth About Personal Injury Compensation
We’ve all heard a jaw-dropping story of a personal injury settlement or verdict for an injury that, at first blush, did not seem all that significant in nature but resulted in a staggeringly large amount of compensation to the victim. These high-profile stories that leave the public feeling like a hangnail claim resulting in thousands of dollars in damages can make ordinary injury victims apprehensive about pursuing the compensation they need to be made whole again. However, these stories are often misleading as the true extent of the damages may be difficult to convey in a news article, the news article itself can be misleading and, in general, frivolous injury claims are actually fairly uncommon. Personal injury law is not an area where frivolous or fraudulent claims abound because the plaintiff must prove the nature and extent of their injuries.
Why Seeking Injury Compensation Isn’t About Profit
The objective in a personal injury case is not to profit from the situation, financially exploit the negligent party, or even seek retribution, but rather to be made whole again or to be you in the position you would have been in if the accident had never happened. Truth to be told, rather than exceed this objective, even full compensation for your medical bills, time off from work, property damage, and compensation for any short term or long term disability rarely feels like an injury victim is fully back into the position they would have been in had the accident never happened because it did happen.
However, an injury victim’s financial and physical situation are often made even worse by failing to seek just compensation. Without just compensation, injury victims are left to bear the financial burden of all of their medical bills and lost wages, along with any mounting interest from debt associated with the accident. This can put a significant strain on an individual’s ability to cover bills and, as a result, they may choose to forego certain medical treatments or physical therapies that could improve their physical condition or prevent further deterioration of their condition.
How Your Claim Can Positively Impact Others
Another important benefit of filing a claim for compensation that can be overlooked is the role of deterrence and how it can help to prevent others from becoming victims in similar accidents. Whether the defendant in your case is an individual or a company, inherent in a negligent claim is a deviation of the standard of care a reasonably prudent person would have employed under the same circumstances. By holding the responsible parties accountable, they and others are less likely to make those mistakes again in the future.
Talk to a New Jersey Law Firm You Can Trust
The vast majority of personal injury claims are settled between the parties before the case ever reaches a courtroom. In fact, it is typically only cases where a major issue like causation or the amount of damages suffered cannot be agreed upon by the parties that are litigated in court. These settlement negotiations are usually handled by the defendant’s insurance company—an entity that works to minimize its financial liability in negotiating countless claims each day.
In other words, you don’t want to face them alone as a novice in personal injury claim negotiation. Instead, you want a skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer such as ours at Cohen and Rielchelson by your side in Princeton, Trenton, Lawrenceville, Robbinsville, Ewing, Hamilton, Titusville, Pennington, Mercer County, and across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Not only are the knowledgeable personal injury lawyers at our Hamilton law firm better equipped to navigate this process, but the insurance company will often also operate differently during negotiations, knowing they are dealing with experienced professionals who do not back down.
For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation with a member of our team, please contact us today at (609) 528-2596.
