3 REASONS YOU SHOULD WORK WITH AN ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
If you've been in a serious car accident, the first thing you'll feel is probably shock followed by fear and confusion. What happened? Who else is hurt? What will you do now? So many questions may run through your mind, and as you begin recovering there are countless consequences you may be dealing with. This could include potentially life-altering injuries, which are at the minimum painful and scary to deal with but could also keep you from returning to your normal life and career. You may be burdened with medical bills that could take you years to pay off, as well as the prospect of investing in a new car or paying for damages that your insurance policy didn't cover.
In the worst-case scenario, if someone was in the vehicle with you, you could be handling their recovery as well, or perhaps a tragic loss. Imagine finding out that the accident you were in was not your fault at all, and was quite possibly the fault of another driver's recklessness or mistake. Each year, there are around 5.5 million car accidents in the United States, and not all of them are totally unpreventable accidents. Some of them occur because one driver was under the influence, or perhaps distracted, or simply not paying attention.
If this happens to you, there are options. You can pursue a personal injury claim, to not only have your medical bills and time away from work compensated but also to have your pain recognized. But though you can potentially represent yourself in a personal injury case, you should not. Below are just some of the reasons why you should work with a personal injury lawyer following your car accident.
1. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
The fact is that personal injury law is complex and does vary from state to state. For example, in some states, there is a statute of limitations on personal injury claims. But what is your state's statute? Can you still claim your injury? Your lawyer will know the answers to these questions and will understand what you need to do to get what you need from your claim. Not all personal injury claims go to trial, either. Many are actually settled pretrial, which could still give you the opportunity to have your injuries financially compensated. This is something that can be difficult to navigate as a layperson, but a lawyer can help you get what you need from your settlement and can advise you on whether or not settling is your best option.
2. THEY CAN HELP PROVE LIABILITY
Proving liability is one of the most important issues in a personal injury case. A qualified accident attorney knows what to do in terms of proving liability and can point you in the direction of what kinds of evidence you need to gather. For example, if there were police officers present at your accident, you can potentially get them to testify. You can also look for video and photographic evidence of the incident, as well as medical records. At times, getting your hands on this type of evidence can be difficult. A car accident attorney can work through legal channels in order to help you obtain evidence and try to prove the other party's liability.
3. INCREASE YOUR CLAIM'S VALUE
It is crucial that you get as much out of your claim as possible. After a car crash, you'll likely be dealing with potentially catastrophic bills, and a personal injury claim is one of the only ways that you can efficiently cover them. When an attorney becomes involved, they can better argue the value of your claim and therefore drive the claim up. An accident attorney's goal is to ensure that your claim is as expansive as possible.
You may be hesitant to file a claim and work with an accident attorney at first. However, choosing to work with an attorney means giving yourself the best chance possible.