How do I calculate pain and suffering from a back injury involving a hit and run accident?

If you're trying to seek compensation for pain and suffering from a serious injury, then you should consider hiring a personal injury attorney.

Good legal counsel is recommended if there's a dispute about who's at fault in an accident, if someone is seriously injured in an accident or if you're involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, the American Bar Association (ABA) says.

A personal injury lawyer helps clients navigate the complex claims process with insurance companies to prevent you from losing out on money to which you may be entitled. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis -- they get a cut of the settlement -- and they don't charge a fee for an initial consultation.

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Bear in mind that your attorney’s cut of the settlement could be sizable, especially if the case is complex. A typical contingency fee is 25 percent to 33 percent if the case is settled without a trial and 33 percent to 40 percent if it goes to court, according to the ABA. Some states limit contingency fees for certain types of cases.

Get referrals to reputable attorneys who have experience handling your type of case. Don't pick a lawyer based solely on a television or billboard ad. Check your state bar association's website for helpful resources. Many offer guides on how to select and work with a lawyer.

If you hire an attorney and fight a case in court, it will take much longer to get money from the insurance company than if you accept a settlement. In big metropolitan areas where the courts are congested with cases, it's not unusual to wait three or four years from the date of the accident for a verdict to be reached.

For more, see when to hire a personal injury lawyer.