Popular culture, including television shows, movies and popular fiction have helped to promote various myths and misconceptions about filing lawsuits and working with lawyers. Unfortunately, these myths may cause people to avoid seeking compensation after suffering a personal injury.

It is important to learn the facts about lawsuits and not just make decisions based on ideas that have been promoted by popular culture. Below, review five common myths about filing a lawsuit.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident, contact Goldberg and Finnegan. Our attorneys have been pursuing compensation for injury victims in Maryland for over two decades.

Americans File Too Many Lawsuits

According to a 2016 poll by the Wall Street Journal, 87 percent of the voters think that there are too many lawsuits filed in America.

However, most civil lawsuits do not arise from personal injury claims. About half of these cases are the result of contract disputes and 37 percent of them involve some type of debt collection.

In fact, civil lawsuits have been on a steady decline dropping at a rate of 3.5 percent each year between 2009 and 2015.

There Are Too Many Attorneys to Go Around

With all the attorney advertisements you see on TV or the internet, it may seem that new law firms are popping up all over the place. This may cause people to think that there are too many attorneys competing for your business.

The problem is not that there are too many attorneys, its more about the fact that legal services are not properly distributed to the people who need them. Many low-income Americans have not received the adequate legal help they need. This may be because low-income Americans think they cannot afford an attorney.

However, many accident victims may not realize that most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis – meaning that they do not require payment until and unless the attorney wins compensation for the case.

If you need an experienced attorney, contact the Silver Spring personal injury attorneys at Goldberg Finnegan today. We charge no upfront costs and we will not bill you unless we obtain compensation for your claim.

Jury Awards are Astronomical

Only the large jury awards are made famous because they get the most media attention, which makes people think juries award too much money. However, from 2010 to 2016, the average amount of compensation for personal injury claims was $68,189.

Even though the jury determines the value of an award in civil cases, the judge can limit or reverse the verdict. Studies show that judges agree with the jury about 75 percent of the time.

Victims of a Personal Injury Can Always File a Lawsuit

If your personal injury was caused by the negligence of another, you may be able to file a lawsuit, however, this is not always the case. The at-fault party may have certain protections that could make them immune from being sued.

For example, some manufacturers of raw materials and police officers may not be sued in some instances, depending on how the injury was sustained.

In most personal injury cases, if you decide to accept a pre-trial settlement offer from the insurance company, you must sign an agreement to waive your right to file a lawsuit.

Contact an Experienced Lawyer

If you need legal representation, it is important to speak to a qualified lawyer as it could make a significant difference in the amount of compensation you can recover for medical bills, lost income and other related damages.

Call a lawyer at Goldberg Finnegan today for a free case review. We can discuss the details of your situation at no cost to you and let you know if you have a valid case.

Take a look at some of our client testimonials to see how we have helped Maryland injury victims over the years.