Getting into an accident and suffering from injuries can be devastating. For some who sustain catastrophic injuries, it can be life-altering. Apart from obtaining treatment, you also need to file a personal injury claim against the responsible party.
This may require the help of a personal injury attorney. If your primary or only language is Spanish, you may prefer a Spanish personal injury lawyer to make the process easier and more beneficial to you. Otherwise, a lot of things may go wrong because of the language barrier.
If you or a loved one are a Spanish speaker and are involved in a car accident, slip and fall accident, truck accident, dog bite attack, or pedestrian accident, you will need a Spanish-speaking personal injury lawyer to assist you in your journey to recovery.
The Impact of Language Barriers to Your Case
In California, the Latino or Hispanic community make up 39.4% of the state’s total population. This is the largest among the racial and ethnic groups in California. Many of them either only speak Spanish or know how to speak English but are not as fluent.
Therefore, communication can be difficult when they talk to individuals who are primarily involved in the accident, such as the police officer responding, the landlord, the dog owner, or the supermarket manager, whichever the case may be. Proper communication will ensure that you are not misunderstood or taken advantage of by insurance adjusters or insurance companies who will offer you an unfair settlement amount.
If Spanish is your primary language and you were involved in an accident, a Spanish-speaking personal injury attorney can understand your version of what happened and can fight for you during the insurance claim process or in court.
Advantages of Hiring a Spanish-Speaking Personal Injury Lawyer
When consulting with a Spanish personal injury lawyer, it will be easier to get legal advice. More importantly, you will benefit from the following advantages:
1. Understand the laws and your case better
With a Spanish-speaking attorney, you can relay the facts of your case better and you will learn more about your case. The legal proceedings will be better explained to you as well. For instance, a Spanish-speaking personal injury attorney can explain to you what liability means or why the other party is claiming contributory negligence. In short, you will be more clearly informed about the surrounding circumstances involving the issues relating to your claim against the negligent party. Also, you will get better counseling because there is no language barrier that limits your ability to have effective communication.
2. Save money on companies that offer over-the-phone interpreter services.
For law firms that have no Spanish-speaking attorneys, you may need to find a family member or a friend who can translate for you. The risk here is that the translation may not be as accurate as you wish to convey. Moreover, you may need to bother that person every time you need to talk to the case manager or the lawyer of the firm. In more inconvenient cases, you may need to hire and pay companies that offer over-the-phone interpreters. This may cost you more than save on your case expenses. On the other hand, a Spanish-speaking personal injury lawyer can help you save on this expense. You will not need to worry about spending on something unnecessary such as an interpreter.
3. You can express your pain and suffering well and get the right treatment
When you are the injured party in an accident, it is important that you are given the right medical treatment. An advantage of having a Spanish personal injury lawyer is that you are able to relay what you feel, what part of your body is in pain, when has this been happening, and what activities have been affected due to your injuries. You will also be able to relay if you sustained any severe injuries. When you can properly explain your injuries or the pain you feel, your Spanish-speaking personal injury lawyer can be more accurate in getting you the medical care you need. At the same time, the lawyer can relay your needs well to a medical specialist, preventing a case of medical negligence. Thus, you can obtain recovery faster and more efficiently.
4. Be more involved in the claim process or litigation
The aftermath of getting into an accident will require getting in touch with the insurance carrier of the responsible party and filing an accident injury claim. This also involves negotiating with the claims adjuster which may take time and would require certain documents. You will understand this better when you can communicate with your personal injury lawyer in Spanish. As the case goes through settlement negotiations and possible litigation, you will be informed what stage your case is in. More importantly, if the case goes to court, you can understand the stringent court processes.
5. Prevent being taken advantage of
When you hire a lawyer, you are entering into a contract. Like any other contract, there are terms that you should understand before agreeing to them. When you choose a Spanish-speaking lawyer, these terms can be explained to you in your native language. It will be easier to ask any questions, allowing you to intelligently decide on whether to hire the lawyer to represent you. Moreover, you will avoid being misled or being in a disadvantageous position, which is what you do not need after getting into an accident. After hiring the right accident attorney to represent you, you can leave the case to your lawyer and focus on your recovery.
Contact a Spanish-Speaking Personal Injury Lawyer Today!
Farahi Law Firm has a Spanish-speaking legal team who will take care of you and your claim for compensation. They will keep you informed of the things that you need to know or understand about your case and better your legal experience. Moreover, you can ask your questions about the process.
As you can easily express to us how the accident has affected your life, in turn, we are certain that we can give you the professional representation that you deserve. But of course, our goal is to help you recover from the accident, and part of this is winning the financial compensation you deserve.
Call us at (844) 824-2955 to talk to our Spanish-speaking representatives and experienced attorneys to help get maximum compensation for your case!
