I am sorry to hear about your accident.
You can do it yourself without a lawyer and deal with the adjuster who is trained to short change you. Regardless of their smile and good humor to you and all the promises of fairness they may make, when it comes to actually paying you, you will see the other side (the dark side) of an adjuster.
If you are going to do it yourself just remember: 1- never trust an adjuster--if it is not in writing, it does not exist no matter how much the adjuster may appear sincere when making the promise; 2-The adjuster is not qualified to over-rule the findings of your own doctor. That is if your doctor says, god forbid, your disc condition may have worsened because of the accident, the adjuster has no business telling you that your doctor doesn't know what he is talking about; 3- I always tell my clients not to give a recorded statement: the adjuster may tell you that without a recorded statement he will not evaluate the case--that is against the law and you have remedies and ways to make him to his job; 4- I always advise my clients not to sign any authorizations, releases, documents an adjuster sends them without having first had an attorney look it over; 5- you have two years to file a lawsuit and so if you suspect you may suffer from future conditions, you do not have to settle your case immediately--no matter how much the adjuster may force you or tell you that he will then close the case and other such nonsense-Even if he does close the case, he will have to re-open it when you are ready to talk settlement.
Keep in mind that do it yourself is not recommended. The adjusters use all sorts of tricks and arguments to make you feel that you were at fault--even to some percentage. After all, if you had hesitated just a little before gunning it into the intersection the accident would not have happened... right? (I am being sarcastic--I have heard worst things from adjusters).
Generally, studies have shown that the percentage you end up paying an attorney results in higher settlement amounts. So it is money well spent-- I work on a contingency basis - that is you do not pay anything--no fee unless I recover for you--and more money you make, more money I make.
If you like to speak further, feel free to contact me. Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck and again, sorry for the ordeal you have to go through-