When someone gets injured, the thought of hiring a personal injury lawyer comes with a lot of misconceptions. Many people worry that they will be seen as someone who is just looking to get a quick payday, or that the reputation of personal injury attorneys as “ambulance chasers” will make them look bad. The truth is, there are a lot of reasons you should hire an attorney after you are hurt in an accident. Here are four of those reasons.

1: There’s No Risk

Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, so that means if you don’t get a settlement or win your case, you will not owe the attorney any money.  Attorneys are willing to do this because they are confident they will be able to advocate for you and get a fair settlement from your insurance company, but just in case they are not able to win, there is no risk to you.

2: Attorneys Know Your Options

Simply working with an insurance company to try and get a fair settlement is not always the best option. In fact, the insurance company makes a profit by paying out as little as possible on claims, which means they are probably actively working to give you less than what you deserve. Sometimes that means you will need to pursue alternative methods to get what you deserve, and attorneys understand all your options—from mediation or arbitration, to trial if necessary.

3: They Have Time and Resources

When you have an attorney working on your personal injury case, it’s like having your own personal assistant who can spend hours on the phone getting your medical records, reviewing police reports, and going over medical charts and data, and communicate with insurance adjusters. They also have the resources to go up against a team of lawyers from your insurance company, whose job it is to keep the settlement or payout as low as possible.

4: Experience

Personal injury attorneys have experience working with other attorneys, which means they can work with attorneys from the insurance company to find a solution that is in your best interest. They also understand the personal injury settlement process, and if they are unable to find a settlement solution, they have experience going to trial. However, not all attorneys have trial experience, so be sure to ask before you hire just any personal injury attorney if you think your case might go that far.

It’s a fact that people who hire a personal injury attorney make more money in their settlement than those who try to do it alone, so it’s in your best interest to hire an attorney if you have been injured and have to work with an insurance company.