While there’s nothing stopping you, legally, from handling a claim on your own, the lack of legal training could be problematic. First, you may not be able to identify all the strategic possibilities, and the lack of familiarity with legal processes may sap more of your time and energy, preventing you from effectively litigating the details of the case. By comparison, an experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to identify potential avenues for recovery and understands what is necessary to maximize the damages. In other words, a lawyer knows how to “work” the case to increase the compensation.