Car accidents are an unfortunate fact of modern life. Death and injuries resulting from car accidents are a public health crisis in America, leaving many to wonder, “What should I do if I get injured in a car crash?”
If you are in an accident–and especially if you suffer a serious injury as a result–hiring an attorney should be your first reaction.
Navigating the aftermath of a car crash is complex. There are a lot of things to deal with, not the least of which is your insurance company–which is sure to have questions you may not know how to answer.
An attorney can help you pick up the pieces after an accident. Read on to learn seven reasons you should hire an attorney after an auto accident.
1. Give A Clear Statement
After an accident, you’ll likely need to give a statement–your description of the crash itself and the events leading up to it. You may need to give statements to both the police and any insurance companies involved.
Giving a statement might seem straightforward, but it’s actually one of the trickiest things to navigate after a crash. The other party’s insurance company will try to trick you into saying something that hurts your case.
They might ask odd questions to knock you off balance or they may simply use your quotes out of context to make it seem like you’re being dishonest.
When you hire the best attorney for your case, they can help you avoid saying anything incriminating. They’ll make sure your statement is clear and can’t be misinterpreted.
2. Handle The Insurance
As you can tell from the previous point, insurance companies are often difficult to deal with after a car accident. They’ll want to prove that you’re at fault for the incident–that way, they won’t have to pay anything.
Insurance companies have many tactics that help them avoid compensating you after an accident. They may try to intimidate or confuse you into accepting a lower settlement than you deserve.
A personal injury lawyer knows about all of these tricks–and more importantly, how to avoid them. They’ll deal with the insurance companies, protecting you from being strong-armed.
3. Determine Liability
If you’re in a serious accident that wasn’t your fault, you deserve compensation–but to get it, you need to prove that the other driver was at fault. In court, this is called liability.
In some cases, proving liability is simple; in others, it’s nearly impossible. A skilled accident lawyer can help you determine your chances of proving liability after an accident.
If your lawyer thinks you have a solid case, they’ll help you bring it to court. From there, it’s clear why you need a lawyer–you need the best representation possible to ensure your victory.
4. Get The Best Settlement
If you haven’t started a web search for the phrase “attorney near me” yet, maybe this will convince you: hiring an attorney can earn you a significant amount of money after your accident.
As stated above, you may be entitled to compensation if you were the victim of a car accident. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible, but a lawyer can help you get a larger settlement.
Experienced personal injury lawyers have a solid grasp of how costly your injuries are; as a result, they can calculate an accurate estimate of the amount of compensation you’re owed.
They also know how to argue your case effectively, making it more likely that they can reach the settlement they’ve proposed.
5. Gather Necessary Evidence
A big part of any personal injury case is gathering evidence. You need to prove that you have the injuries you’re claiming and that they are a direct result of the car accident. You also need to prove you aren’t at fault.
All of that requires a lot of evidence; most people wouldn’t even know where to begin. When you hire an attorney, though, you’ll have a professional to take care of the evidence for you.
A lawyer can gather police reports, medical records, eyewitness accounts, and more. All of that will pay off in the courtroom.
6. Deal With Less Stress
No matter how a car accident plays out, you’re going to be under a lot of stress. You may be dealing with injuries, the loss of a loved one, or at the very least severe damage to your vehicle.
On top of that, you’ll have insurance companies hounding you, statements to give, and a dozen other stressors. A personal injury lawyer can take on many of these problems so you don’t have to.
Not only will you avoid some of the hardest aspects of dealing with your accident, but you’ll also have the support of a trained professional. That’s sure to put your mind at ease and raise your confidence when dealing with the accident.
7. Protect Your Finances
You might still be hesitant. You’re probably thinking, “All of this sounds too good to be true–what’s the catch? How much is hiring an attorney going to cost me?” That’s a reasonable concern, but it’s easy to address.
Hiring an attorney after an accident is very affordable because you rarely have to pay them upfront. Instead, they’ll take their payment from the settlement they win you.
Usually, personal injury lawyers take a percentage of your settlement as payment. This benefits you in a few ways; first, it means you don’t have to break the bank to hire a lawyer after your crash.
Second, it ensures that the lawyer will give your case the effort it deserves. After all, their pay depends on getting you a great settlement!
Enjoy The Benefits of Hiring An Attorney
Hiring an attorney is the smartest thing you can do after a car accident. Not only will they handle the most difficult parts of the crash’s aftermath, but they’ll also get you the settlement you deserve, all at a reasonable cost.
After the stress of dealing with an auto accident, you deserve a vacation! The question is, where will you go? Visit our travel blog for some ideas on the best places to visit when you want to get away from it all!