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How a Lawyer Can Help with Your Car Accident Claim


— September 3, 2020

A lawyer will provide you support and assistance to obtain the lost income due to injuries. Negotiating on your own might not fetch you so many benefits.


Accidents are very common, dangerous, and can lead to personal injury and financial trouble. As per road safety facts, globally, almost 1.35 million people lose their lives in road crashes, and more than 25 million people suffer from serious injuries, giving them a life-long disability. Some families might go through financial hardships due to their inability to go to work after an accident. No matter how carefully we drive our vehicle, there is always a chance of encountering a disaster because we cannot command how other drivers should drive. Regardless of the numerous awareness programs about the speed limits and traffic signals, we cannot force anyone to follow them. So, the only thing in our control is to prepare ourselves for what happens after we have met with an accident.

Why hire a lawyer?

Most people take an agreement from the insurance firm and settle for tremendously less money than the full value of their claim. An insurance company will hesitate to offer you the entire cost of the claim until they see that you are serious about pursuing it. An accident victim is eligible for remuneration on medical bills, loss of earnings, and other accident-related charges.

That’s why a car accident victim requires an attorney who can guide you through getting a financial claim after the damage caused by another driver. Your attorney will go through the damages caused by the car accident, explain the available legal options, and give you a better understanding of the claim value. With the help of an attorney, you have a higher chance of grabbing a maximum claim than being pressured and settling for less.

The following are the various roles a lawyer plays in aiding you with your car accident claim.

1. Handle Insurance Company

Handling insurance corporations, post-accident, is a critical task. Hiring a lawyer would ease this process. While you concentrate on your recovery from the collision, your attorney will deal with the insurance provider. When you provide any information directly to the insurance firm regarding the crash, they might use it to minimize or invalidate your claim. In contrast, having an attorney handle the process will restrict the insurance provider from misconstruing your evidence and reduces the risk of settling for less.

2. Finding who is responsible

Investigating the contributing factors will also let the attorney list the responsible parties that are liable for compensation. For example, if the driver drives a company vehicle when meeting an accident, then his/her employer could bear some of the driver’s medical expenses. Whereas in case of a vehicle malfunction, like a tire blowout, the manufacturer may be at fault and must bear some expenses.

3. Investigate the different factors associated with the accident

You might assume that the accident occurred because of your carelessness, but before you settle for this thought, it is crucial to discuss your suspicion with the experts. It is because accidents appear complicated, and various factors like driver distraction, poor road conditions, or a vehicle malfunction contribute to a crash or disaster. If the negligence of multiple parties contributed to an accident, it isn’t easy to establish the contributing element without an investigation. It is crucial to carefully allocate the fault in accidents, to prevent you from losing any compensation.

Two cars in an accident in an intersection; image by Shuets Udono, via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, no changes.
Two cars in an accident in an intersection; image by Shuets Udono, via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, no changes.

A qualified attorney will have connections with multiple accident and injury authorities in your region. Your lawyer can get help from these experts to investigate your crash. Lawyers will work with your accident experts to understand how the collision occurred. Additionally, medical experts can provide insights on how you sustained your injuries. Mechanics will examine your vehicle whether the car was functioning correctly at the time of the accident.

These data will prove useful to your attorney in understanding the angle at which your car met with the accident and whether the seat belt and airbags worked appropriately or not. This way, an attorney will investigate your car accident and consider every relevant factor to help you get the highest claim.

4. Representing You at Trial

Most people settle their car accident cases out of court. However, if you cannot reach a fair settlement, then you file a case and present it before the court. It is advantageous to have a well-qualified lawyer by your side during the trial. He/she will train you for the court and present proofs about your mishap to the jury. The lawyers have skills in presenting any evidence, including calling an eye witness and showing the extent of suffering the accident has caused on your life. They will strive, on your account, for your benefits and ensure to win the case.

5. Deal with Hospitals or Debt Collectors

This again, is an essential benefit of having a lawyer. After you meet with an accident, your entire focus must be on your recovery. Debt collectors for your hospital bills and dealing with hospital staff will put extra pressure and frustration on you. That’s why hiring a lawyer will help manage all invoices and debt collectors by letting them know about a pending claim and putting a stop to their harassment. 

6. Estimate Future Medical Expenses

When you get injured in an accident, it is imperative to calculate an estimate of the future medical expenses to file for rightful compensation. A lawyer assists you in examining all accident-related costs, including future remedial costs related to the accident. Lawyers determine the future estimate with the help of your doctors and other healthcare providers. They will examine your injury, explain the procedure, and the time required for recovery. Based on these details, the lawyer can successfully make an estimate of your future medical expenses, which helps with your car accident claim.

7. Negotiating settlements

A lawyer will help in reviewing your agreement offer with the insurance firm. An insurance provider might try to minimize the claim amount to increase its profit margin. This will leave you with much less amount than what you are eligible for. They might put across a settlement offer to sign, which takes away your right to sue them for additional losses. Having an attorney will prevent you from signing any such offer. Your attorney will negotiate the contract proposed by the insurance firm. Their negotiation skills are much better at settling a car accident case than any layman. A good lawyer knows the worth of a case, presents the event, and handles the discussions to get the best settlement from the insurer.

Conclusion

A lawyer is qualified and knows the right way to fight for your car accident claim. He/she understands the law associated with disasters supporting you to get a fair compensation amount. A lawyer will provide you support and assistance to obtain the lost income due to injuries. Negotiating on your own might not fetch you so many benefits. Therefore, hire a qualified lawyer who will take care of all these matters while taking care of yourself and your family.

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