Benefits of Hiring a Car Crash lawyer After an Accident
Like all accidents, a car accident occurs when the driver least expects it. But unlike other unfortunate events, a car collision can significantly change the quality of your life. In addition to injuries and hefty medical bills, you also have to file a claim with the insurance company– a task that is somehow much harder than it seems. At this time, having a car crash lawyer to deal with your case could mean the difference between getting the bare minimum in compensation or walking away richer than you were before.
Being in a car crash is taxing mentally, physically, and financially. It feels even worse if the accident happened due to the negligence of the other party. Since the average person may not know how much compensation they’d be entitled to, it’s always a good idea to hire an expert car accident lawyer to handle the negotiations.
6 Reasons why you should hire a car accident lawyer
- Examine whether you have a case
Let’s be realistic– not every victim of a car crash has a case, and not every case is entitled to get compensation. There are two sides to every coin, and one party has to lose for the other to win. Unless you have a background in determining whether your case is worth pursuing, there’s no point in filing a claim on your own. That’s because, in the end, it might lead to wasted time and opportunity. A lawyer, on the other hand, can give you solid advice regarding this.
- Negotiating with the insurance company
“I have insurance, so why do I need a lawyer anyway?”– that’s something a lot of people want to know because they believe that their insurance company has their best interest in mind. The reality is that to get substantial compensation, you might have to fight tooth and nail with your insurance carrier. The insurance business often employs tricks to make the victims feel like their issues are trivial to pay them next to nothing.
The insurance adjusters will often keep delaying the process in order to frustrate you or make sly threats to get you to accept lowball amounts. An attorney, on the other hand, knows the usual roadblocks deployed by these insurance companies and how to avoid them. An attorney dealing with the insurance company would signal there’s no room for trickery. After all, reputed car crash lawyers earned their reputation by winning settlements for their clients.
- Determine the extent of your injuries
To get compensated appropriately, you need to prove the injuries you sustained from the accident. We’re not talking only about physical injuries but the toll mental distress at such a time takes on your body. Some injuries are more apparent than others, such as scars or broken limbs. However, to get the maximum out of your claim, you should hire a car accident lawyer.
A competent car crash attorney would not only be able to determine your injuries accurately but the loss you suffered and/or will suffer in the future. Some of the most life-threatening injuries are not immediately apparent and can cost you a fortune in medical expenses. To keep you safe from such a grim possibility, your lawyer would push for compensation that covers future expenses too.
- Determine your claim’s value
Determining a claim’s value takes more than factoring in the cost of medical treatment and lost wages. Without knowing how to assess a claim, you might end up filing for a low amount or something unreasonably high. A wrong claim value increases your chance of losing the case exponentially, leaving you with lost expenses in the end.
To avoid that from happening, hiring a car accident attorney from the get-go is a must. The attorney will analyze your case and figure out an accurate amount for your claim that can easily be proven in court. They’ll do so by accounting for your medical expenses, cost of emotional distress and trauma, lost wages, and damage to property, if any.
- Negotiate for settlement
It’s true that most accident claim settlements happen out of court, so negotiations are necessary to get compensated fairly. This can involve all the parties at fault and the respective insurance companies, so going in prepared with a lawyer is the key to getting a better deal. Unless you’re experienced in handling situations like this, you’re likely to lose or settle for an unsatisfactory amount.
- Litigate the case and represent you in court
If a fair settlement cannot be reached, your lawyer will push for a lawsuit against the guilty party. If the case goes to trial, the lawyer will represent you in court against equally skilled attorneys of the defendant and the insurance company. Without prior courtroom experience, you stand no chance of properly expressing yourself, let alone winning.
This is where a competent lawyer would genuinely shine as they have enough experience dealing with such situations. A jury is much more likely to take you seriously with a lawyer by your side.
- Prevent you from accidentally damaging the case
In court, anything and everything you say will be scrutinized and double-checked. So, any word that comes out of your mouth has to be preplanned and well thought out. And you cannot do that in the absence of a lawyer on your end. You may also damage the case if you disclose incorrect info in writing to the insurance company, as they’ll use it against you.
They’ll ask you tricky questions in the hopes of exploiting your ignorance, jeopardizing the case. That’s another reason to hire a car crash lawyer immediately after the accident.
There are many reasons to hire a lawyer. However, people often forget how much peace of mind it brings to the victims. After an accident, your only goal should be to rest and recover, but not having a lawyer will put a significant burden on your shoulders for all the reasons mentioned here.
