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How Can a Louisville Car Accident Lawyer Help if You Were in a Crash?


— January 28, 2022

If you want to get the money you need, the first rule is to speak as little as possible with the insurance guys.


Two men were killed and a woman was seriously injured in a head-on crash on I-264E, near the Bells Lane exit in Louisville, KY. The accident that happened in late October 2021 is just one of the over 150,000 crashes that take place in Kentucky each year. Around 25,000 people end up with various injuries, not to mention the damage to their cars. How can you get compensation for your losses after a car crash? Most people would say the insurance company will see to it, but if you know what’s good for you you should seek help from the most experienced car accident lawyers in Kentucky you can find. 

For a run-of-the-mill fender-bender, there’s no need to get a lawyer. Insurance companies have no problem paying you a few hundred dollars to get your car fixed. It’s the more serious accidents, those that leave people with injuries that require prolonged medical care that they have a problem with. A serious accident involves a substantial claim and the insurance company will do everything in its power to minimize the amount you’re entitled to. It’s going to be a battle and a very unequal one if you go alone. You need an ally, someone with extensive knowledge of Kentucky traffic laws and regulations. If you were involved in a crash, reach out to a good car accident lawyer in Louisville or whatever city you live in and let them deal with the insurance adjuster.

Man walking with brown leather briefcase; image by Marten Bjork, via Unsplash.com.
Man walking with brown leather briefcase; image by Marten Bjork, via Unsplash.com.

If you want to get the money you need, the first rule is to speak as little as possible with the insurance guys. Notify them of the accident, but don’t go into any details. If they give you a call, it’s not to ask how you’re doing, but to get you to talk and say something you shouldn’t. Be aware that these conversations are probably recorded so anything you say will be used against you. Don’t admit to anything that might indicate you were somehow responsible for the crash, even if you were.

Kentucky uses the comparative fault rule and you can get some compensation even if you were partly to blame for the crash. The tricky point is to establish what percentage can be attributed as being your fault. This can be done in court if the case goes there or it can be decided by the insurance adjuster, and you’ll want a very skilled car accident lawyer for that meeting. 

Let’s say that you were speeding, but the other driver made a U-turn and slammed into you. Obviously, they are responsible for what happened and your speeding accounts for only 10% of the fault. This means that if your damages are estimated at $100,000, they will be reduced by that 10% and you’ll only get $90,000.

However, when you sit down with the insurance adjuster they will tell you that your speeding is an important factor and your blame amounts to at least 40 or 50%. With just a few words, your damages are reduced to $50,000. Now, if you go in there with a lawyer who has handled hundreds of similar cases and can counter every argument they make, the insurance people will understand they cannot mess with you. They will settle your claim on your terms and get their money back off another guy who doesn’t have an attorney present. It’s that simple. 

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