Every driver knows that collisions are possible anytime they get behind the wheel. However, no one expects a crash to happen, and nothing can prepare you for becoming a car accident victim and suffering serious injuries.
Seeking professional help from a car accident attorney is of utmost importance to receive full compensation for someone else’s negligence, especially if it causes severe damage. While consulting a Greenacres car accident lawyer is certainly something you should do, there are other steps to take after a car accident to protect yourself.
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Greenacres car accident Guide
- You Should Get a Medical Evaluation for Any Potential Injuries
- Never Delay in Consulting a Car Accident Lawyer
- Hiring a Car Accident Attorney Is Free
- Questions for Your Potential Attorney
- Your Lawyer Will Build Your Claim
- Determine How Much Your Claim is Worth
- Settlement Negotiations Can Take a Long Time
- Some Car Accident Claims Require a Lawsuit
- Why You Should Consult a Car Accident Lawyer Today
- Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Today
You Should Get a Medical Evaluation for Any Potential Injuries
Nobody expects to experience a damaging car crash, and when it happens, they may not be prepared for the aftermath or understand what to do. The first necessary step is seeking professional medical attention.
The most important reason for having a medical assessment is to detect any potential injuries. Not all injuries produce immediate pain, so seeking necessary treatment earlier is always better for professionals to assess your condition. You will begin treatment and the healing process quicker, establishing a baseline for your recovery.
Common car accident injuries include:
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord damage
- Broken bones, such as arms, legs, hips, and ribs
- Head injuries, such as a skull fracture, bleeding, or concussion
- Internal bleeding
- Knee trauma
- Herniated discs
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Multiple healthcare-related costs can accrue after a car accident, with several forms of treatment, including surgery, chiropractic care, physical therapy, or other forms of rehabilitation. Early medical intervention will help ensure you are on the right path to physical recovery.
Never Delay in Consulting a Car Accident Lawyer
You must also ensure you are quickly on the right path to financial recovery through the legal process.Every state in the U.S. has a statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit against another driver, so acting quickly will help any accident victim.
A car accident attorney understands all the victim’s rights and will know the local laws regarding any statute of limitations or time restrictions on your claims. States will have various deadlines for filing claims — hiring a lawyer right away allows them to take full advantage of the time you have.
Hiring a Car Accident Attorney Is Free
Most reputable car accident lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means they charge no upfront costs, only taking on cases they believe will succeed. They do not charge fees unless the client receives a settlement, and the fees come directly from the settlement itself. This means they usually work on a “no win, no fee” basis, allowing anyone to afford legal representation.
Questions for Your Potential Attorney
When consulting a car accident lawyer, finding the right one is important. Therefore, take time in your initial consultation to ask questions about the attorney and their services. You might ask certain questions, such as:
- How much of my car accident claim will you handle?
- How many car accident cases do you take on?
- What cases like mine have you taken on?
- What is the best settlement you can get me for my damages? What evidence can you show me for winning such a settlement in this case?
- Are there any out-of-pocket expenses for me?
- How do you structure your fees?
Hiring a car accident lawyer means you won’t ever need to face insurance companies or involved parties alone. No car accident victim wants to deal with the legal aftermath of such an exhausting or potentially life-changing experience. A lawyer takes this stress off your shoulders.
Your Lawyer Will Build Your Claim
In the event of a car accident, the police and other parties will investigate the crash scene. Many victims don’t realize a car accident lawyer can also build their own investigation and collect evidence, establishing who was at fault.
Your car accident lawyer can do the following to help build your case:
Investigate the Cause of the Accident and Who Was to Blame
As part of a thorough car accident investigation, an experienced attorney might take the following steps.
Building a timeline: A car accident lawyer will use their knowledge and your testimony to form a timeline of what happened.
Attending the Scene: They can have someone check the accident scene for additional information or evidence to help determine what happened, such as tire marks or missing traffic signs. Such evidence may help determine liability in your case.
Speaking to witnesses: Without a car accident lawyer, it is unlikely you will speak to any witnesses yourself once you have left the scene. Your attorney can contact witnesses and conduct interviews. In addition, they can use expert testimony to help build your case.
File Insurance Claims with Other Drivers
Post-Accident Assistance
The post-accident scenario is sometimes uncomfortable and confusing, so knowing where to begin can be difficult. Hiring a skilled car accident lawyer means you have a roadmap of what might happen and what to expect, clearing up some of your uncertainty.
Stop You From Settling Too Soon
Some drivers might settle too soon, even filing their insurance claim on the day of the accident or accepting an immediate settlement offer, which may result in a much lower payout. Before rushing through any insurance claim alone, you should always contact a car accident attorney. Victims who use a car accident lawyer can avoid accepting an offer lower than the case is worth.
Block the Insurer’s Scare Tactics
By hiring an experienced car accident attorney, you can avoid all the stresses that follow making an insurance claim. One of these is being pressured by the other party’s insurers, who might use scare tactics to force a lowball offer.
Ongoing Support
Once your car accident lawyer has the relevant evidence to proceed, they will build your case, negotiating with the other driver’s insurance company to win a fair settlement. They will be with the claimants every step of the way, helping them avoid costly mistakes they might make alone.
Determine How Much Your Claim is Worth
There are many ways to determine how much a claim is worth, and the process relies on several factors. First, there is the calculation of both economic and non-economic damages. Many people undervalue or fail to even consider non-economic damages, which can be a substantial part of a claim.
Uninsured Motorists
Research estimates show that roughly 12 to 14 percent of American drivers carry no car insurance, which is illegal in most states. If you have uninsured motorist coverage, it can protect you in the event an uninsured driver hits you. However, you want a car accident lawyer handling this claim.
There might be an occasion when your own insurance provider won’t cover all your costs, putting you in a difficult financial situation. This scenario is where a car accident lawyer will negotiate for full compensation or file a lawsuit to win the remaining damages.
Economic vs. Non-Economic Damages
Economic damages.
These are common financial losses for which you can sue — these are of a measurable, tangible nature:
- Vehicle and property repair costs
- Medical bills from accident-related treatment or consultations
- Lost income from missed work, including any paid leave
- Other financial costs, such as medication or transportation
Non-economic damages.
These are harder to define monetarily, as they are intangible and relate to any diminishing of life quality from the accident, such as:
- Loss of hobbies or sporting activities
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental or emotional pain suffered during or after the car accident
- Permanent impairments or disabilities
Settlement Negotiations Can Take a Long Time
If you are hurt and your vehicle or property is damaged, you may be legally entitled under personal injury law to compensation from the negligent party. However, the process of obtaining this compensation takes time.
Naturally, when entering car accident negotiations, you must consider many factors, such as state laws, the type of negligence that caused the crash, and the extent of the damage.
The timeline for settlements is complicated and made up of several phases.
- Getting medical care for any car accident-related injuries with a clear diagnosis of the accident’s impact
- Collecting the necessary evidence for building the case and calculating the damages accrued from the accident
- Writing a demand letter to the insurance company and beginning negotiations
You will likely wait until you complete most medical care before agreeing to a settlement offer, so you know the full effect of your injuries on your future. Then, once all the evidence is collected, your car accident lawyer can send a demand letter to the at fault party's insurance company, and it may take time for a response.
A car accident lawyer can use their experience to avoid delays when possible, though the right settlement takes time and patience. In the long run, the wait is worth it, considering how much more money will be on the table.
Some Car Accident Claims Require a Lawsuit
If the insurer’s offer isn’t satisfactory—which it rarely is—there are two ways to resolve the case. The first is continuing to negotiate and eventually settling directly with the insurance company. The other option is suing for damages in court, possibly going to a jury trial. Settlements are far more common than trials in car accident cases.
Often, another driver’s insurance company may be unreasonable when processing an accident victim’s claim. There are several methods used by insurance companies to prevent a fair settlement, requiring a car accident attorney’s experience:
- Delaying the claim or putting up additional red tape to push the victim’s financial restraints.
- Ghosting the claimant entirely, being non-communicative, and evading the claimant’s inquiries. By slowing down the process, insurance companies try to force a lower settlement.
- Refuting the claim altogether. Even when the accused party is clearly in the wrong, their insurance company may deny any damages that happened.
- Lowballing the client with a weak settlement amount, which insurance companies hope claimants will accept. This scenario is common if drivers don’t hire a car accident attorney.
If any of these occur, a lawsuit may be the only recourse for a crash victim. If damages are owed, drivers deserve to receive the settlement and move on with their lives. The best way to do this is with guidance from a car accident lawyer.
Why You Should Consult a Car Accident Lawyer Today
You may be wondering if you need a car accident lawyer. Maybe you think you can handle your claim yourself.
The reality is that if you’ve suffered an injury in a car accident, you should always consult a car accident attorney. A free consultation is a win-win for any victim of a car accident. The benefits include:
- Learning your options for legal recourse
- Getting free legal advice from an experienced professional
- Understanding how much your case may be worth
- Moving on with recovery and having peace of mind
Don’t Waste Money and Time
Consulting a car accident lawyer is the next step after seeking medical attention. Too many drivers lose out because they file their insurance claims alone, spending money and time on something a professional can and should do for them.
Working on Contingency
Car accident lawyers mostly work on a contingency basis; this means your fee is contingent on them winning the case. Therefore, they will charge no legal fees if they cannot win for you. Of course, a car accident lawyer will only take your case if they feel confident of winning it.
This also means that car accident attorneys charge no consultation fees. The lawyer can look at all the details of your case, offer legal guidance on what to do next, and then present how they feel you can win a strong settlement. They charge nothing for providing information and guidance on your rights.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Today
Call a local Greenacres personal injury lawyer today and begin your journey to recovering your health and your financial losses. Accepting an offer below what your damages are worth should never be an option. If you hire the right person, you can avoid this pitfall.
Don't wait to seek legal representation. Contact a seasoned car accident attorney today for a free consultation.