Every day individuals lives are interrupted by accidents, financial setbacks, divorce, and other situations where they need a lawyer. Perhaps you are injured by a physician who failed to do something he/she should have. You may have been denied workers compensation benefits for an injury at work, or you are being sued by the state for breaking some environmental regulations.
Regarding workers compensation, workers reported 3,007,300 occupational illnesses and injuries in 2013. Fewer than one in four Americans have enough money in their savings account to cover at least six months of expenses in the event of an emergency. As of March 2015, the maximum average compensation for an employee who damaged one arm at work in the United States amounted to approximately $169,880. Amazingly, 85% of worker?s compensation claims are attributed to employees slipping on slick floors. As a result, 22% of slip/fall incidents caused more than 31 days away from work.
Other situations show that 20% of federal civil personal injury lawsuits result from vehicle crashes, 13% result from products liability injuries, and 10% result from medical malpractice. Sadly, 67% of smartphone owners use their phone at least occasionally for turn-by-turn navigation while driving, with 31% saying that they do this ?frequently.? In fact, at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving. Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded. Meanwhile, drunk driving costs the U.S. $199 billion a year.
Statistics show that student loans account for at least 1% of all U.S. bankruptcies, which translates to roughly 15,000 bankruptcies a year. With an attorney, the success rate for Chapter 7 bankruptcy claims is over 95% (vs. 60% ?pro se?) and the success rate for Chapter 13 is 55% (vs. .04% ?pro se?). Bankruptcy filers must pay a filing fee. For a Chapter 7 case, the fee is $335. For a Chapter 13 case, the fee is $310. The top five states with the most bankruptcy filings in 2014 were (in order from most): California, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio.
It is important to realize when you need the help of an attorney. A competent lawyer can help you get what you deserve and facilitate you overcoming the situation that made you search for help with workers compensation, accident, or other malady.