When you get into a car accident, what are some of the benefits of hiring a car accident lawyer to help you? What can they do that you can’t get done on your own? Find out why it’s worth it to get legal representation.
Getting into a car accident can have a wealth of consequences, even if the collision wasn’t your fault. From the obvious—your car is damaged, potentially beyond repair—to the less obvious—you have to miss work because you’re hurt or have no way to get there—there are a lot of things that can happen that make life after the accident a lot harder. For that reason, it’s ideal for a lot of people to seek legal help in order to get things back on track.
While there are many ways that lawyers can help you in the aftermath of a car accident, there are some common reasons that most people choose to hire one. If you’re on the fence about getting legal help, here are five reasons to hire a lawyer for a car accident.
The at-fault driver has no insurance.
If the person who is at fault in the accident has no insurance, you will have a much harder time seeking damages from them. Of course, it is the law to carry car insurance, so even if they don’t have a policy backing them for damages, you can still sue them for your own expenses, be it medical bills, a wrecked car, or otherwise. However, it’ll be difficult to do this on your own, since there’s no insurance company to negotiate with. In this instance, a car accident lawyer will have a much better chance of getting you any sort of settlement. Lawyers will be able to navigate how you’ll be paid for damages or medical costs better than you will be able to, as this is something they deal with regularly. The average person won’t know how to seek payment from a person who has no insurance.
You have no insurance.
If you have no insurance and you’re involved in a car accident, you’ll need a lawyer to defend you. If you were at fault, and have no insurance, you’ll need a lawyer to defend you against the other party—the person you hit. You’ll need legal representation because you may face repercussions for having no insurance, especially if the accident was your fault. If you caused damage to someone else’s car or caused someone else to get injured, you will absolutely need a lawyer to defend you.
You’re injured and have to miss work.
Lawyers will be able to help you win compensation for any expenses you incur from the accident. For example, even though it is not a workers compensation case, you may be entitled to lost wages reimbursement. The difference, however, is that your employer will not pay the reimbursement—the at-fault party’s insurance company would have to foot the bill. Again, if the at-fault party is uninsured, you definitely need to hire a lawyer to help you figure out the best course of action for the case. Even if the at-fault party has insurance, hiring an attorney will help you get the appropriate amount of compensation. Without the help of a lawyer, the at-fault party’s insurance company will likely try to low-ball you with their reimbursement offer. If you aren’t used to dealing with insurance companies and you don’t know what the appropriate settlement amount should be, you could be getting much less than you’re entitled to.
Your car is totaled but insurance companies won’t cover costs.
Insurance companies are typically trying anything they can to avoid paying out for damages. Whether those damages are for your medical bills or your damaged vehicle, they will do anything they can to shortchange you. It’s important not to accept insurance company settlement offers before talking to, and preferably hiring, a lawyer. Since the insurance companies will try and offer you a settlement far lower than you deserve, if you agree to their initial offer you may find yourself suffering in the long term, as the settlement wasn’t enough to cover all of your expenses, medical bills, or car repairs. Talking with a lawyer about your case will help you get the appropriate compensation, as lawyers who deal with car accident cases know the appropriate settlement amount to fight for.
You weren’t at fault, but the other driver claims you were.
One final reason that a person who has been in a car accident might hire a lawyer is because while they weren’t at fault, the other person is claiming they were. Generally, these cases will be ruled out by police reports, but if the police report couldn’t determine an at-fault party, or through other circumstances no one was assigned fault, someone who didn’t cause the accident may still get sued. A lawyer will be able to discuss the case with insurance companies involved, as well as with another lawyer (presumably the other party’s lawyer), and together the two parties will come up with an agreement for what to do with the case. If you don’t hire a lawyer when something like this comes up, you are putting yourself at risk of being sued and experiencing a lot more stress than you would have had you hired a lawyer.
When you get into a car accident, it’s important to find and hire a good lawyer to be on your side—they’ll help you navigate the case, figure out an appropriate settlement amount, and deal with insurance companies.
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