Whether it’s a car accident, slip-and-fall incident, or freak injury that happens as the result of someone else’s negligence, you may find yourself in a situation where you have the option of filing a personal injury claim. Although many people question whether it is morally acceptable to claim compensation in these situations.
4 Reasons You Should File a Personal Injury Claim
Those on the outside looking in often view the personal injury niche as being less than savory. They picture an industry filled with ambulance-chasing solicitors in expensive suits and victims who purposefully put themselves in precarious situations to earn money. While there certainly are a handful of these folks out there, these are exceptions to the rule.
The truth is that the personal injury niche is a very significant one. It’s part of the fabric that holds our societies together—offering accountability where it’s often lacking.
So if you find yourself in a situation where you’ve been hurt, and someone else is to blame, you should never feel guilty about exploring your legal options. Personal injury claims exist for a reason, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to explore your options.
Here are some specific reasons why it’s completely ethical (and necessary) to file a personal injury claim:
1. Ensures Proper Medical Care
First and foremost, there’s your health. Nothing in this life matters more than health, and, unfortunately, the medical care you need from a personal injury situation may put you in a lifelong battle with debt.
Money isn’t pursued in personal injury claims as a form of evil retribution. Most of the money awarded to victims is used to fund necessary medical procedures and ongoing care to live a somewhat comfortable and normal life.
2. Deters Repeat Situations
“Successful claims only occur when the law has been broken,” says Andrew Gray, founder of Truth Legal. “If there was no mechanism to enforce the law, then the law would be meaningless. An injured person, who makes a successful claim, is essentially just enforcing their legal rights, leading to greater respect for the rule of law.”
In this light, personal injury claims deter repeat behaviour from happening. They show the culprits—as well as others who could easily find themselves in a similar scenario—how important it is to do away with negligence and care for the safety of others.
3. Holds Insurance Companies Accountable
When people purchase an insurance policy and make regular payments to pay the premium, most believe that their insurance company will be on their side after a car accident or other injury-causing event. Unfortunately, far too often this isn’t the case. As a for-profit company, the insurer loses money on each claim they pay out, which is why they will look for any reason they can to deny claims.
This is one that most people don’t think about. Since insurance companies are typically the ones that end up making the majority of the payments in personal injury claims, filing a claim is essentially a method of holding these corporations accountable for their clients.
4. Prevents Wasted Taxpayer Money
A failure to file a personal injury claim and pursue money from the insurance company often leads to wasted taxpayer money.
When someone is injured and it puts them out of work, they no longer have the means to sustain themselves. They also don’t have the money that’s necessary for pursuing proper medical care. This leads them to rely on government programs for sustenance, which are funded by—you guessed it—the money of other hard-working individuals in the community.
This isn’t to say that government programs don’t have their role, but if this financial burden can be rerouted to insurance companies, the saved public funds can be used in other areas that benefit society.
