Understanding the Legal Process – What a Car Accident Attorney Can Do for You
Car accidents can be devastating. Victims may experience severe injuries, such as lacerations and broken bones. They may also suffer emotional distress and loss of enjoyment in their favorite activities.
An attorney can help them recover compensation for these losses. A lawyer can also provide advice and represent them in court.
Defend Your Rights
A car accident is a traumatizing event that can leave you with serious injuries, medical bills, lost income, property damage, and even permanent changes to your body. If you have been hurt in a crash, a car accident attorney can protect your rights and help you recover compensation for all your losses to return to your everyday life.
Your lawyer will look into how your injury has affected your life to ensure that you are filing for all damages to which you are entitled. This may include examining your current and future medical treatment costs, how your injuries have impacted your ability to work, and the emotional impacts of your crash.
In addition to compensating you for your losses, your attorney will fight to hold the at-fault party responsible for causing your accident. It is generally based on a legal theory called negligence, which is the failure to act with the level of care that a reasonable person would have used in similar circumstances.
Collect Evidence
A car accident attorney can help you collect and preserve physical evidence, for example if you get rear ended in a car accident then look for evidence such as skid marks, debris, crash scene photos and damage to vehicles and property, witness statements, and police reports. Your lawyer will consider these items when building your claim and seeking compensation from insurance companies.
Eyewitness accounts are precious pieces of information in a car accident case. A witness may have seen the at-fault driver speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, or running a red light just before the crash. They can also testify how the collision occurred, which is crucial in proving liability.
Medical and property damage records on your injuries are also necessary evidence for your claim. Your lawyer will review these documents and obtain copies to support your claim for financial compensation. They will also consider your ongoing losses, such as future medical expenses and lost wages, as part of your total damages.
Negotiate With Insurance Companies
Car accidents can be terrifying experiences, and in addition to dealing with injuries and property damage, injured parties must deal with insurance companies. Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and attorneys trying to get injury victims to accept a lowball offer or give up on their claim.
Taking the first settlement check offered by an insurance company can be one of the biggest mistakes that injury victims make. Tenacious attorneys will fight to ensure you receive the total compensation you deserve for economic and non-economic damages, including the value of your vehicle and any other personal belongings that were damaged in the crash.
If you wait to contact a lawyer, you could unknowingly provide information that would weaken your case. That information could be used against you later to deny your claim or reduce the money you receive as compensation. Remember, the statute of limitations is just three years, and the best evidence is typically available right after a crash.
Prepare for Trial
Car accidents often involve complex legal issues. A lawyer can ensure you file your claim within the statute of limitations. A minor error in filling out the paperwork can delay your case for as long as it takes to go to trial.
Your attorney will talk to the negligent driver’s insurance company to try to settle your claim without a lawsuit. Suppose they fail to do so or their policy limits are insufficient to cover your damages. In that case, they will talk to your insurer (assuming you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage) to settle your claim.
A reasonable car accident attorney will prepare you for these examinations so that you do not say anything that could harm your case. They will also accompany you to any depositions and expert witness testimonies you must attend, if necessary. You may have to give an oral or written statement during this process.
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