Do I Need A Lawyer? The Top Reasons To Hire A Car Accident Attorney
If you’ve been involved in an accident, hiring a car accident attorney might be the furthest thing from your mind. Between expensive car repairs, time away from work, and possible doctor’s visits, you’ve got enough on your plate.
This is precisely why many people choose to involve an attorney—to alleviate some of the burdens that result from an accident and to be compensated for your damages.
If you’ve been involved in an accident, you have two options: tackle your claim yourself or rely on an experienced lawyer to handle it for you.
Take a look at four reasons why it makes sense to let a lawyer handle your accident claim:
1. EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE
There’s nothing simple about law, especially when it comes to automobile accidents. Without legal experience, you’re at the mercy of the insurance company and their highly paid lawyers to give you a fair settlement.
Keep in mind that insurance companies are in business to make money. They want to protect their own interests first, which means paying out as little as possible.
An experienced car accident attorney ensures you get a level playing field and get treated fairly.
2. DEAL WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES THE RIGHT WAY
Insurance companies don’t make it easy to settle your claim, and it’s not by mistake.
They know you’ve been through a lot, especially if you’re injured. Because systems can be complicated, they’re hoping you’ll take their first offer so they can write the check and close your case.
Hiring a car accident lawyer can help you present yourself as a person, not a case number. Your lawyer will handle all the hurdles set forth by the insurance company on your behalf so you can focus on your recovery.
3. HELP PROVE LIABILITY
A successful car accident lawsuit hinges on whether you can prove liability in court. To do this, you’ll need evidence from accident reports, witness testimony, and other pieces of data to support your claim.
Lawyers are skilled at collecting and presenting this data to give your case the best chance of winning.
Knowledge Of All Potential Damages
Knowing how to handle a car accident is not enough. You must know your rights, the full extent of damages, and what constitutes a fair compensation when filing a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim.
You may be entitled to compensations for medical expenses, disability, disfigurement, and pain and suffering. If you’ve been incapacitated you they may owe you for lost income from your job, and your family’s loss of your companionship.
A car accident lawyer will know how much your injuries and mental distress are worth. When estimating an amount yourself, you might be aiming far too low.
Deep Knowledge Of The Law
It’s quite unlikely that you know all the laws pertaining to your situation.
With all the experience car accident lawyers have, they can establish which laws and factors are relevant to your case, as well as provide thorough understanding of those laws and how the local court system interprets them.
This way you won’t need to waste time on research.
If it comes down to suing, be prepared for a lot of paperwork and confusing rules. You must figure out what to file, how to format, how to cite legal precedent, what evidence is admissible, and more. It’s very strict, and you have limited time.
You’ll need a good lawyer to guide you through a complicated lawsuit.
You May Be Too Injured To Focus On Legal Matters
It’s easy to get seriously injured if you’re involved in a car accident. It’s not uncommon for pedestrian victims to experience anything from broken limbs to severe head trauma. If you’ve been seriously injured, you simply won’t be capable of handling legal matters on your own. You’ll need the assistance and guidance that an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer can provide. Having a professional attorney at your side will help provide peace of mind, allowing you to focus on your recovery instead of having to worry about legal matters. We can quickly move to find witnesses, police reports and other evidence to prove you are not at fault.
Insurance Negotiation
There are many ways the insurer can deny your claim, especially if they think you may be at fault.
Attorneys understand what information increases your chances of approval in both first- and third-party claims. If your claim does get denied, a lawyer is also ready to appeal and able to fight for your recovery rights.
You may be offered a monetary settlement by the insurance company to do away with your claim as quickly as possible and avoid a personal injury lawsuit. Many times this will not be a fair amount.
A car accident lawyer has the training and experience to know when offers are too low and how to negotiate for a better amount.
Your Injuries And Damages Are Serious
If your injuries and damages are serious, then hiring a lawyer should be a top priority. Indeed, the more serious your injuries are, the more you need a lawyer. When damages are extensive, an insurance adjuster will be even more inclined to lowball your claim – the last thing that an insurance company wants is to pay out a claim in full; insurance companies want to make money. This means that the insurance adjuster will fight back hard to devalue your claim. This might include trying to prove that you caused the accident through fault of your, discrediting the extent of your injuries, or saying that you failed to provide notice of the accident in a reasonable amount of time. Your attorney can advocate for you and protect your rights.
Your Claim Is Denied
If your claim is denied, you maintain the right to appeal the insurance company’s decision. But the appeals process can be complicated, especially if you don’t understand why your claim was denied in the first place. This is where a skilled lawyer comes in – your attorney can explain to you the reasons for claim denial (whether valid or not) and help you to build a case in response.
Gathers Evidence Before It Becomes Unavailable
After a car accident, it is common for evidence to be erased or altered to cover up negligence. For example, if you were hit by an 18-wheeler, black box data might be used to prove a traffic infraction or an Hours of Service violation. The trucker’s Hours of Service logbook could also be valuable evidence to prove your claim. If you wait too long to consult a car accident lawyer, this evidence might not be available.
Claimants who represent themselves often overlook important evidence such as cell phone records, surveillance camera footage, and other potential proof of negligence and liability. The attorneys at Hage Hodes will compile all evidence that may be used to strengthen your claim, and we can arrange testimony from an accident reconstruction expert and other expert witnesses if necessary.