Does This Crash Call For A Car Accident Lawyer?
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
They are all too common, which is why they are so confusing. Auto accidents happen everyday, right in front of us and it could very easily be you at any point. If you have been in one of any severity you know there are immediately a lot of options and therefore questions. Am I injured? Do I report the accident to the police? Do I report it to my insurance? What information do I need from the other driver? Are there injuries after the fact? These are all things going through your mind before the legal troubles even come into play. There are varying degrees of car accidents and varying degrees of legal action needed to deal with car accidents.
Without A Lawyer
For the most part if there are no injuries you should be able to settle the dispute through insurance companies without a lawyer because it will cost you about the same amount of money. The insurance should cover the cost of repair or replacement of the damage done to the vehicles. Using the combination of insurance, auto repair quotes or car value information you and your insurance adjuster should be able to determine what you are owed and get it taken care of without any legal representation. If those things are not happening properly that is when you might consider a car accident lawyer for damages without injury.
Injuries And Severity
Hopefully, your accident did not result in any injuries for yourself or anyone involved. If that is not the case and there were some minor injuries, there are further questions you should ask before making the decision to get a car crash lawyer. If your injuries cleared up within a few days, back to 100% you should be ok to just deal with your insurance. If the injuries resulted in medical attention that is less than $1,000 in medical bills your insurance adjuster should be able to help you with that as well.
If however, the minor injuries result in higher costs then it may be a good idea to consult an accident lawyer. The only reason to hold out here is the cost of the lawyer compared to your potential settlement. Most lawyers will have a consultation with you for free and you can decide together whether their services are worth the financial trouble. Whenever you are having trouble getting the proper compensation you can consult an attorney.
Major injuries are when it becomes very necessary to at least consider a car accident lawyer. Results that include severe injuries can become complicated to negotiate because of lasting effects the injury might have. It is the insurance adjuster's job to get you to take the least amount of settlement possible. A car accident lawyer has the specific experience to negotiate and get a fair settlement that will help you recover from your injuries. It is known and proven that those who use an attorney in these scenarios receive much higher settlements than those who do not.
Generally, when there are injuries involved it is smart to consult a lawyer, unless they are very minor. It may be easy enough for you to negotiate simple damages and minor injuries with your insurance adjuster. However, major injuries and complications with the other scenarios can warrant a need for legal help and a car accident lawyer can provide you with service that will get you the most amount of support from your settlement.