It’s not rare that people who’ve been involved in an accident feel tempted to represent themselves in court. After all, if the facts are obvious, you have nothing to lose, right? In most cases, that’s very wrong. Unfortunately, it has cost many people their chances at an otherwise legitimate case. It’s important to understand what’s at stake here, and what you stand to lose by not seeking professional representation. Let’s look at some of the biggest reasons you will want to work with an attorney.
Knowing You’re in the Right Is Not Enough
You might think that the case is obvious. You know you’re not in the wrong, and even the person who caused your injury may have admitted to being at fault on the scene. But if you don’t manage to present those facts in an appropriate manner in court, it doesn’t matter what you know. The person who wins that case will be the one who manages to present their side of the story better. And when it comes down to someone representing themselves going up against someone with a lawyer, the former is pretty much inevitably doomed to lose.
Strict Deadlines and Document Formatting Rules
Battling in court also means adhering to strict deadlines and submitting documents in a specific manner. Courts have very strict requirements and they often make no exceptions. This means that missing just one submission date can cost you your entire case if you’re not careful. And when it comes to a case as complicated as one about personal injury, you’re going to face lots of those deadlines and requirements to deal with. The best Detroit personal injury lawyer at Mike Morse Law Firm will know how to handle things from A to Z without requiring much input from you. You, on the other hand, will have to spend days digging through legal books to figure out what to do.
The Case Will Likely Be Emotional for You
Last but not least, don’t forget the fact that a case like this usually carries some emotional weight. Here’s an interesting fact for you: even experienced attorneys almost always choose to hire someone else to represent them in court. Why? Because they understand the danger of letting their emotions overcome them when trying to argue over facts. The impact of this case on your life can cloud your judgment and degrade your chances in court. A good attorney will know how to completely detach themselves from the emotional side of things, dealing only with hard facts – but they will also know when the time is right to leverage emotions. And that’s exactly what you want when going up in court.
You only get one shot to make things right. If you lose the case, you won’t get a chance to redo it just because you’ve realized what a mistake it was to go in without an attorney. Make sure you cover all your bases and use every resource available to you. And this starts with hiring a good attorney who knows how to present your case in the best way possible.
