I would like to wait to see if I can settle my claim without getting a lawyer involved, is this a good idea?

There is no reason why you can’t try to handle this yourself. You may run into issues along the way which cause you to want to hire a lawyer, and if that happens make sure you get a lawyer quickly. A woman called me a few days ago and wanted me to represent her in connection with an auto accident claim for her fiance. Apparently, she had tried to negotiate the claim herself, and had let things progress to the point where she needed to file suit very soon as the statute of limitations was about to expire.

I explained to her that I could not take on the case for free, and that any lawyer would charge her a fee to represent her regardless of whether the case settled or went to trial. The reality of the situation was that any lawyer would need to recover 1/3 more just so she could receive the same amount as what was presently offered. Insurance companies are aware of this, and will offer just enough to make it difficult to hire a lawyer.

I am always somewhat skeptical of potential clients who come too me at the last minute, asking for me to file a lawsuit on their behalf. Once an attorney enters an appearance in a case, he or she is usually in it to the end. Nevertheless, after taking the time to speak with this woman, it was abundantly clear that she had made some very significant errors along the way, would have had a very difficult time finding any lawyer to represent her.

This case might have had a different outcome had she hired a lawyer early enough so that her rights would have been protected. The moral of the story, if there is one, is that it pays to get someone to represent you. Hire a lawyer to even the playing field, and protect you from over-reaching insurance companies that try to pay the minimum possible in each case.