If you have been injured in an automobile accident you may face a lot of expenses, and you may have a hard time getting those at fault to pay for your damages. That is when you need an Experienced Mobile Car Accident Attorney on your side.
Some people are responsible and some are not. They need to be held accountable. A greater challenge may be insurance companies who will pay but will also try to get away with paying as little as possible. That is where a skilled attorney can help you.
People you will be dealing with are called claims “adjusters” for a reason. Their job is to adjust the claim to a lower amount to save the insurance company money.
The insurance companies also have lawyers who know the law inside and out, and they will do all they can to lower your claim. You need someone who knows the law just as well, if not better than they do, on your side to level the playing field. A skilled lawyer can keep them from using the law to keep from paying for your expenses or to keep them from not paying you all you are entitled to.
The losses may not always be apparent, and may not show up until later. Here are five things that a good car injury lawyer can help you with.
- Medical bills, including hospitals, doctor visits, medicine, devices, and even medical bills you may have in the future that are directly related.
- Damage to, or loss of your vehicle, as well as any other property damage.
- Lost income while recovering from injuries.
- Loss of income in the future if you can’t work.
- Pain and suffering.
Some of these are straightforward. You can show your medical bills and the numbers are there to see. These are economic damages that can be measured.
Other areas that are not as clear are called non-economic damages. Loss of future income is one of those areas. Pain and suffering is an area that is subjective, and you need a good lawyer to help you get a much as you can in that area. This can also include depression and anxiety caused by the accident.
If you try to do this on your own you will have to learn about civil law, which is very complex. It is different from criminal law, in that in a civil case you are proving likelihood more than beyond a shadow of a doubt. On your own, you may not know how much to ask for, or what your claim is worth. You will end up not getting as much as you could have.
Another reason to consider an attorney is to just make sure you are being treated fairly. If the insurance companies appear to be cooperative and seem to be treating you fairly, you still may not be getting all you should. In that situation, it would not hurt to have a personal injury attorney look over your case just to make sure everything is as it should be.
Most injury attorneys will offer a free consultation to determine what should be done. They will listen to all the details and may investigate it a bit, to determine if you are being treated fairly, and to determine what your case might be worth. In some cases, they may tell you that you will be fine going on your own, but in other cases, they will be interested in taking on your case.
Injury attorneys do not get paid unless they win, and their pay comes out of the settlement you receive. Most attorneys will not take a case if they feel they cannot get more than you have been offered as a settlement.
Injury attorneys are well versed in the law, and in how much a case should be worth. They know what a fair settlement should be, and can help you discover what your case is actually worth. A good attorney will then fight hard for you
While they are interviewing you, you should also be interviewing them. Find out of they take cases to court. When was the last time they did, and how did it turn out? Also, find out if the person you are talking to will be the one handling your case. There are positives and negatives to big and small law firms. Some law firms are trying to get cases done as fast as possible, and as a result, may not fight a hard as they could have in your interest.
Most cases are negotiated and never reach the level of actually going to trial. You need an injury attorney who is good at negotiation first. Just as important however is having an attorney who is not afraid to go to court. Insurance companies know the injury lawyers by reputation.
They know who will settle and who will fight them hard and go to trial. They will negotiate more fairly, and take more seriously lawyers who they know will go to trial.
Once an attorney takes your case, a team will investigate the accident thoroughly to determine what a fair settlement would be. They will examine the paperwork and reports, interview those involved and expert witnesses, and talk with other attorneys involved. This is part of the case building, and once that is done a “demand letter” is sent to the insurance company or the person who was at fault.
This says what we think you should be paid in compensation. From there negotiations can begin. Most of the time a fair settlement will be reached, one that all parties agree to. If an agreement cannot be reached your case will go to trial.
Lawyers can give you a ballpark idea of what your case is worth and how long it will take to resolve, but there are variables that can change the situation. Your case could be worth thousands, or it could be worth millions. Some cases are more complex. Some take a few weeks and some may take a year or more. There may be more than one party that will be asked to pay for damages, and that complicates the case further.
Three key questions at this point may influence what you decide to do.
- What is the claim worth
- Who will be asked to pay
- How long will it take
Personal injury cases are complicated and the law is complicated. You need someone who is trained and experienced in negotiating the territory. That is why it is a good idea to hire a personal injury attorney if you have been injured in an automobile accident.
