Had a car accident? and now you must be thinking that “should I hire a lawyer fer a car accident?” If that is the case then you have come to the right place. In this blog, we will tell you when to hire a lawyer for a car accident and when not to.
WHEN TO HIRE A LAWYER FOR A CAR ACCIDENT?
You need to hire a lawyer when you meet with a serious accident and you feel like you need to claim compensation from another party but neither he nor his insurance company is ready to pay. Here injury means a severe one like a cracked bone or a head injury. If you are seriously injured then you need to hire a lawyer because when you will go to another driver’s insurance company to claim damages then chances are that they won’t give you the amount that you deserve. After all insurance companies make money by retaining damage amount not by giving damage amount.
It will be hard for you alone to fight against them. Then you will be needing a lawyer who can fight on your behalf and can provide you damages from the insurance company.
WHY SHOULD I HIRE A LAWYER FOR A CAR ACCIDENT CASE?
Now that you know that you need an auto accident lawyer. Here are 5 things he will be doing on your behalf in case of a serious accident. let us look at them one by one.
1. WILL TAKE THE BEST LEGAL ACTIONS
An auto accident lawyer is a professional in law, he solves cases like yours’ on daily basis. There may be some hidden facets of your case and ignoring them can weaken your stand against the other driver. An accident lawyer will help you in figuring out how to put your case before the judge so that you can be benefitted the most.
2. HE WILL FIGHT ON YOUR BEHALF
You cannot alone stand against the insurance company’s legal team. The sole work of theirs’s legal team is to prevent the distribution of damages; without any legal advice, you won’t stand a chance against them (even if you are not at fault). Your lawyer will fight on your behalf and will make sure that you receive full damages.
3. OBTAINING NECESSARY EVIDENCE
You will need evidence like eyewitnesses, camera records to make your case strong. You can’t gather all evidence by yourselves, and if you are seriously injured then it will become impossible to even get your hands on any one of them because camera records are deleted after a few weeks and how will you find eyewitnesses?
Your lawyer will arrange all the evidence necessary to strengthen your case.
4. MANAGE NECESSARY RECORDS AND BILLS
You will be paying a lot for your treatment in case of serious injuries, also you will spend on restoring your car. Your main goal will be to reclaim that amount from the insurance company or the other driver, a lawyer will manage all your records and bill he will look after all the hidden expenses that you bore to ensure that not even a single penny is left unpaid to you.
5. WILL DETERMINE THE VALUE THAT YOU CAN CLAIM
You may not understand all facets of the case you are in, there are some hidden damages that you can claim from the other party, there may also be some hidden expense that you bore. Your auto accident lawyer will take care of those damages and will ensure that you receive every penny you deserve.
6. NEGOTIATE
The ultimate work of an attorney is to negotiate. You and the other driver may not prefer to take legal proceedings, here your lawyer can negotiate with the other driver and also form his insurance company, by this, you can settle your matter without any legal actions.
HOW MUCH DOES HIRING AN AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER COST?
Auto accident lawyers generally work on contingency-fee-basis, which means that they will receive an amount that is usually 25 to 40 percent of the damage amount that you will receive, only if they win the case.
It may seem like an expensive choice but remember that it is way cheaper than fighting on your own. If you fight on your own then chances are that you will fail, but an auto accident lawyer guarantees that he will win, after all, he will be paid only if he wins the case.
Reputable auto accident lawyers also provide free consultations, which means that they will give you some legal advice regarding your case for free, then it is up to you whether to hire one or not.
WHEN NOT TO HIRE A LAWYER FOR A CAR ACCIDENT?
Now that we have answered your question of ‘When should I hire a lawyer for a car accident’, let us now tell you when you should not hire a lawyer for a car accident.
The simple answer to this is that, when the accident is not that serious, let’s say you just received a scratch on your elbow or only the side mirror of your car was damaged. Small disputes can be solved then and there themselves. Hiring a lawyer will be an expensive choice here.
CONCLUSION
At last, let us get back to our question, “should I hire a lawyer for car accident?” well, it depends upon the situation you are in. If the gravity of the accident is high then you should get legal help as soon as possible, else if the accident is of minor nature, then you should settle it then and there with mutual understanding.