You’ve just been injured in a car accident, and the insurance company has made an offer to settle your claim. You are tempted to do just that, but you’re wondering if the amount they’re offering is really going to be enough to pay all your accident-related bills. You’re thinking about hiring an accident attorney, but you don’t know if you really need one.
Here are 5 reasons why hiring an attorney to represent you in a personal injury claim could be exactly the right move to make:
1 – Accident Attorneys Fees – Free Consultations and No Up-Front Costs
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they won’t take a fee until your case settles. This type of arrangement allows injured people to obtain legal representation without having to pay an upfront retainer. Personal injury lawyers also typically offer free initial consultations, and advance funds for medical experts and the costs of litigation since most injured clients can’t afford to pay for things like obtaining a report from a medical expert, but without such a document they could have a hard time obtaining a fair settlement. But before you hire anyone, be sure you understand their fee structure.
2 – A Car or Truck Accident Attorney Will Deal With Insurance Companies So You Don’t Have To
Once you hire an accident attorney to handle your claim, he will communicate with insurance companies on your behalf. This will not only reduce your anxiety and stress, but will also allow you to get all the information you will need to build your case, such as:
- Whether liability for the accident has been determined.
- The liability limits of the at-fault party’s insurance coverage.
- Specifics about your own insurance, including whether you have medical payments and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Non-lawyers usually don’t know how to obtain this type of information, but accident attorneys work with insurance companies every day.
3 – Car Accident Lawyers are Skilled Negotiators
Insurance adjusters routinely offer unrepresented claimants low settlement offers in exchange for a full release early in the claims process, knowing that that they may accept a nominal amount because of financial pressures. An attorney can protect you from this vulnerability, and will likely be able to negotiate a much better award for you once the full extent of your injuries is known. An experienced injury attorney has much more negotiating power than a claimant does, simply because the attorney has the power to file a lawsuit in court, requiring the adverse insurance carrier to spend time and money defending it. If an insurance company doesn’t treat you fairly or refuses investigate your claim, an attorney can also initiate a bad faith claim, something an unrepresented client rarely does.
4 – You Don’t Know the Law As Well As You Think You Do
We’ve all watched our share of legal dramas on television, but there are many rules, regulations, and processes involved in accident cases. Unless you’ve been to law school, learning all of this would be very time consuming for you, but if you don’t take the time to learn the rules, you run the risk of doing major damage to your case.
So if you decide to represent yourself, be prepared for a lot of work. It takes attorneys three years to get through law school, plus all the knowledge they gain on the job. Do you really think you can understand the concept of personal injury law more quickly than that, if at all?
5 – Insurance Companies Don’t Want You to Hire an Accident Lawyer
If your accident was minor and you didn’t sustain any injuries, you may not need a lawyer, but if you were injured and still decide not to retain an attorney, you’re doing exactly what the insurance company wants you to do – allowing them to pay you far less than your claim is actually worth. An experienced personal injury attorney will review your claim, understand what it’s worth, and make sure the insurance company treats you fairly.
If you were injured in an accident due to another person’s negligence, contact DDB Law online or call 888-648-5999 to schedule your free initial consultation today.