Why You Need to Hire an Attorney after a Car Accident
If you are hurt in a car accident with another car and driver involved, an auto accident lawyer should be your next call after your insurance company. You need to protect yourself and your family from a potential loss of income from being off work. The medical bills can make a big dent in your family finances, too. An accident attorney will make sure you get the best possible settlement to take care of those financial issues. Here are some of the best reasons to engage a lawyer after a car accident.
Your Attorney Understands Settlement Amounts
You may find various tools online to calculate an average insurance settlement for your injuries. But your lawyer will know what financial components to include in the settlement to get the maximum amount for you. Items such as long-term physical therapy, future checkups and tests, and the expectation of how long you'll be away from work add up quickly. Your lawyer will factor in various conditions that reduce your job income and increase your medical expenses to come up with the right settlement amount.
Your Attorney Can Navigate the Legal Process for You
Knowing what paperwork to do, when and where to file it, and what supporting documentation to provide are some of the things your attorney will help you do. Missing a simple form could delay an insurance settlement, which might be just fine with the insurance company lawyers. Some prefer that you not know what you're doing so that you don't receive full compensation. Hiring an accident lawyer means you're on level playing ground with the insurance company when it comes to understanding the legal process.
Your Attorney Knows How to Communicate with the Insurance Company
It can be intimidating talking with the attorneys for the other insurance company by yourself. Knowing what not to say is as important as what you should tell them. Let your attorney do the talking for you. They know how to present your case to the insurance company and how to negotiate the best settlement.
You'll Need an Attorney If Your Case Goes to Trial
The other insurance company doesn't want to go to trial. They'll do their best to make a settlement with you. A trial puts them at risk of losing if a much larger settlement gets awarded. You lawyer will try to get a settlement out of court, too, but if it goes to trial, they will be prepared to argue your case in front of a judge and jury.
Get in touch with an car accident lawyer, like one from Gibbs and Parnell, as soon as you can after the accident. They will start the settlement process while you attend to your health issues and get your life back in order.
