If you were involved in a car accident, slipped and fell, or were bitten by a dog, you may be able to file a personal injury claim if you were injured and the other party is to blame for those injuries. However, before you go about filing a case yourself, you may want to consider getting free personal injury legal advice. Many personal injury lawyers offer free legal advice or a free consultation. Here are a few of the benefits of seeking out this free advice.

You Find Out if You Have a Case

One of the biggest benefits to seeking personal injury legal advice is you find out whether you have a case or not. Some cases are pretty clear cut -- for example, if another driver caused an accident and there is a police report to corroborate how the accident happened. Other times, things are not so clear. For example, if you slipped and fell on a spilled drink in a restaurant, you have to be able to prove that the restaurant knew about the spill and did not clean it in a timely manner. A personal injury attorney can review the facts in your claim and let you know whether you meet the criteria needed in order to file a claim and whether they feel you have a compensable claim or not.

You Learn When the Statute of Limitations Tolls for Your Case

You may not realize it, but you only have a certain period of time in which to file a personal injury claim against the party responsible for your injuries or you lose the right to file a claim. This timeline is called the statute of limitations. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations is not always clear. The amount of time you have to file a case depends on whether the injured party is a minor, if you are suing a federal entity, and what state you live in. Most of the time, you have about one to two years to file a claim. When you meet with a lawyer, they will let you know when the statute tolls for your claim so you do not miss this important deadline.

You Get to Learn More About the Attorney or Law Firm

The last benefit to meeting with a personal injury lawyer for free legal advice is that you get to learn more about the attorney or law firm. You may or may not be considering hiring a lawyer for your case. But after meeting with the attorney, you may have a better idea as to what the benefits of working with a personal injury law firm are, how they structure their payments, and how they can help you with your case. You get to sit down and talk to the lawyer and get a feel for who they are and what they bring to the table, all for free. If you decide to hire a lawyer, this free consultation will help you select the one that you feel is best for you.