Although many of us enjoy being handy around the house, there  is one time when it does not pay to  "do it yourself" — when you or a  loved one has been injured. Rather  than trying to handle a personal  injury claim yourself, you should  seek the assistance of a personal  injury lawyer for several reasons:

EXPERIENCE: By hiring a  personal injury lawyer, you can  take advantage of the lawyer's experience. This experience helps  evaluate your case and helps determine what you are legally entitled  to recover.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD:  You can be sure that the wrongdoer's insurance company is going  to have experienced adjustors and  lawyers working against you. Often, an insurance company will  delay settling claims and even deny  valid claims altogether. Even when  it does offer to settle the case, the  settlement offer may be unfairly  low. It pays to have a lawyer on  your side to prevent the wrongdoer  from paying you less than you deserve.

PAY ONLY IF YOU WIN:  Most personal injury lawyers work  for what is called a "contingent  fee," which does not require  money up front. Contingent fees  allow injured persons with valid  claims but little money to get good  legal representation. Also, most  contingent fee agreements provide  that you only have to pay the lawyer's fee if you win.

OTHER ISSUES: In addition  to the injury claim itself, your lawyer can help you resolve matters  arising when someone has been injured, such as providing referrals to  competent doctors and repair  shops.

So if you have been injured,  don't do it yourself. Seek the help  of an experienced professional to  insure you get what you are due.