Should You Feel Bad for Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

One of the most difficult things about filing a personal injury lawsuit might be the barrage of negative emotions involved. If you got hurt because of something someone else did or didn’t do, it’s normal to feel angry, sad, confused and frustrated. Unfortunately, we’ve talked with one victim after another who also admit to feeling guilt. They wonder if pursuing a settlement makes them a bad or greedy person.

“I feel guilty for suing someone,” they say. They feel like hurting the person who hurt them isn’t what good people do.

The problem is, their guilt could lead to them having to pay for someone else’s mistakes. What’s wrong is when innocent people get taken advantage of and left in pain instead of receiving the compensation they deserve.

Most Personal Injury Settlements Come from Insurance Companies

Part of the reason people worry so much about filing a personal injury lawsuit is they’re afraid of ruining someone’s life. They picture the individual who caused a car accident, their doctor who made a mistake or the neighbor who contributed to their slip and fall injury. They know their injury cost them a huge sum, and they picture the other person having to do without if a settlement is reached.

And you’re right. If an individual had to pay for your doctor bills, time off work, pain and suffering and other compensation, it could be financially catastrophic for them. However, in most cases it isn’t the individual but their insurance company who sends you the funds.

That’s a huge part of the reason people are required by law to carry auto insurance – because most people don’t have enough cash on hand to pay for the damage they could cause in an accident. Doctors carry medical malpractice insurance because humans are fallible and mistakes are costly. Property owners pay property insurance in part to cover what could go wrong.

When you file a personal injury lawsuit you’re not saying the individual owes you money. They pay their insurance company to cover them, and you’re simply asking their insurance company to honor that agreement. No one loses their home. Their children don’t have to go hungry. They don’t spend the rest of their life in poverty. You just receive what you deserve.

Your Doctor Deserves Payment for Services Rendered

Medical treatment is unnervingly expensive. Just a trip to the emergency room can cost more than most people keep in their savings account. A large part of most personal injury lawsuit settlements doesn’t go home with the victim so they can live the rest of their life on easy street. Much of what they receive is reimbursement for what they or their health insurance company paid for medical treatment, and to settle up on outstanding debt.

The healthcare professionals who treated you deserve to get paid for helping you get well just like you deserve to receive compensation for what you went through. It’s not being greedy to ask for money, it’s being fair.

Personal Injury Lawsuits Protect the Public

The person who hit you might only have to pay his or her deductible when you receive a settlement, but the resulting personal injury lawsuit might keep them from texting and driving in the future. The hardware store owner where you experienced your slip and fall injury is probably going to make sure no one else leaves hazards where customers walk. The discomfort caused by a personal injury lawsuit is often a powerful motivator for change, and that’s a good thing.

We’re Proud of What We Do

We’ve all heard of lawsuits that made us roll our eyes and question the justice system because there are people who twist the legal system for their own personal gain. However, that’s not the norm, and it’s certainly not what we’re about at Monsour Law Firm.

We’ve built a solid reputation for being experienced personal injury attorneys who pursue justice for the deserving.  If you were hurt we’re here to fight for you. Contact us to schedule a no-obligation consultation.