If you or your loved one has been involved in a car accident, an attorney can help you organize and analyze evidence to help support your claim.
Dealing with medical bills, physical injuries, and a claim after a car accident can be overwhelming.
Hiring a car attorney helps you reduce stress levels. Most car accident attorneys will offer you a free consultation and help you understand your rights to compensation even if you are partially to blame for the accident.
How a Car Accident Attorney Can Help You?
So, why should you consider hiring a car accident attorney when you are involved in a car accident? Let us find out.
Investigate The Collision
After a car accident, it is critical to investigate the circumstances of the crash. When you hire a car accident attorney, they will help you investigate and gather evidence such as witness statements, police reports, photographs, video, and anything else that might support your claim.
A car accident attorney can also speak to witnesses and investigating officers on your behalf to learn more about the crash. This is especially important if you are in the hospital recovering from injuries or just returning to work.
In their investigation, a car attorney may also:
- Organize your medical records
- Assess the scene of the collision
- Gather police reports
- Collect witness statements
- Gather video footage from traffic cameras that might have captured the crash
Talk to Your Insurance Company
After an accident, it is critical that you do not talk to the insurance companies representing the other parties involved.
They may try to get you to accept responsibility and refuse your claim. Despite their advertisements, insurance companies are businesses that lose money every time they settle a claim.
However, a car attorney can talk to the insurance companies involved and save you the trouble of dealing with unscrupulous adjusters. We recommend hiring a car attorney with years of experience dealing with big insurance companies.
Your car accident attorney should also have experience dealing with personal injury law, which can be complex. They will negotiate a fair settlement and, even if you are partially to blame, they will help you reach the best outcome.
Determine Responsible Parties
An experienced car accident attorney can help you identify all contributing factors to the crash. They can also accurately pinpoint who is responsible for the crash and whether or not you are liable for compensation.
For instance, if the person responsible for the car accident was using a company vehicle, their employer might be responsible for settling part of your claim. If the car accident happened due to a car malfunction, the manufacturer might also be partially responsible.
Estimate Future Medical Costs
After a car accident, it is normal to consider immediate medical costs. However, some accidents result in ongoing, long-term, and even life-long treatment.
An experienced attorney will help you assess the full extent of your injuries and look at how they might affect you physically, emotionally, and financially.
Your lawyer will also help you get an accurate estimate of future medical bills to ensure you do not suffer expenses that you did not consider. Some estimates to consider in your final settlement claim include:
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Current medical bills
- Property damage
- Future medical costs, and care
Negotiate a Fair Settlement
As earlier discussed, insurance companies are in business. They may try to avoid making large payouts, so even if they offer you a settlement, the first figure they offer is likely to be far less than what you deserve.
Hiring a car accident attorney ensures that you do not settle for less than what your claim is worth. Even if no two accidents are alike, an experienced lawyer knows each aspect of your case.
Through their investigation, they can tell how much your claim is worth and review and counter any settlement offer made by the insurance company.
They can also negotiate for a better settlement or represent you in court if the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer.
Protect You from Debt Collectors
Some accidents result in urgent medical care, and many people often fall behind on bills. However, medical care is essential to your survival, and you should have to suffer illegal harassment from relentless debt collectors.
A car accident attorney can use the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to protect from these debt collectors who are known to use threats.
Represent You in Court
Most car accidents are settled out of court. If you have a car accident lawyer, it increases your chances of getting a fair offer from insurance companies. Even if your lawyer files a lawsuit, it is more likely that they will reach an agreement before going to trial.
However, if your case makes it to court, your attorney can help fight for your right to fair compensation. An experienced lawyer understands all the tricks that insurance companies use to avoid making fair settlements.
Summary
We do not recommend representing yourself after an accident. Hiring a car accident attorney puts you in a better position to negotiate and get a fair settlement.
Another advantage of hiring a car accident attorney is that they will not charge you until you receive compensation.
Even if you pay a percentage of your claim to your attorney, you are still more likely to get more in your settlement than those who represent themselves.
Hiring a car accident attorney on a contingency basis also means that there is no risk for you. Your lawyer is more likely to work as hard as possible to get you a fair settlement because they do not get paid unless you win.
Get in touch with a car accident attorney today to find out what your claim is worth.