You may understandably feel upset when you learn that a friend of yours has been injured in a situation in which you feel there was some negligence on behalf of a person or organization. This upset can quickly turn to frustration when you learn that the person you know isn't considering taking legal action. People can shy away from hiring a personal injury lawyer and pursuing legal action against the person or individual responsible for the injury for a number of reasons. As the injured person's friend, you might want to suggest that hiring an attorney and taking legal action will be beneficial. Here are some points to emphasize as you make this argument.
Compensation For Lost Income
One of the worst things about a serious personal injury is that it can cost the victim financially. If your friend isn't planning to pursue legal action, make sure that he or she is aware of how the injury has likely had a financial cost. Get your friend to think about how many days he or she had to take off work, and then calculate how much income was lost from these unpaid days. If the friend has had to seek various forms of medical care, such as visiting a chiropractor after a car accident, implore him or her to also add up these bills.
Payment In Exchange For Suffering
It's difficult for you to put a price on the victim's suffering, although his or her personal injury attorney will be able to do so. Let your friend talk to you about the impact of the injury. For example, perhaps he or she has had several sleepless nights as a result of pain, has become more afraid when out in public, and perhaps has even missed desirable opportunities — such as not being able to travel to a friend's wedding that was scheduled for just a few days after the injury. Gently remind your friend that receiving financial compensation for this suffering would be beneficial.
Teaching A Lesson
It might be frustrating for you to know that a person or an organization has been responsible for your friend's injury and isn't being held responsible. For example, if your friend slipped and sustained an injury in a restaurant, you might feel annoyed that the restaurant was negligent and that someone you care about is now paying the price. Try to emphasize to your friend that pursuing legal action is a way to teach the negligent party a lesson — ideally, the lesson will be such that the other party makes changes so this situation doesn't happen to others. If your arguments have gotten through, your friend will hopefully begin to look for the right personal injury attorney to hire.
