If you have been injured in a car accident, you should get in touch with a lawyer to protect your rights – even if you aren’t sure yet whether you need representation. For most people, when they’ve been injured in an accident, they just want to have everything over and done with as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this perspective benefits the insurance companies who want you to settle for less than you deserve. Most people don’t really know how much they could be entitled to, or how much their injuries are even likely to cost them, long term. We do know. And that’s why calling an accident injury lawyer should be one of the first things you do after an accident. We have the experience to know how to evaluate your claim and advocate to maximize your settlement.
We recommend that everyone injured in a car crash consult with an accident injury lawyer. But it’s especially important for injured people in the following types of cases:
#1. Multiple vehicles were involved in the accident
Any time multiple parties are in a collision, the decisions regarding liability can get very complicated. It could be that multiple parties are held responsible for the accident. If multiple people were injured, then there may not be much compensation to go around at the end of everything. It could be that you are one of the parties sharing in the liability for the accident. And it could be that the liability in question was not clear at all at the time of the crash. You could have multiple parties trying to go after your insurance for their damages, which may reduce your own settlement.
No matter what complicated factors your situation may entail, it is wise to have accident injury lawyers working for you and protecting your interests. Often, these changes in insurance responsibility, and changes in claims, can happen without you being made aware of the changes. Having a lawyer on hand will help prevent such surprises, and may head off some of these claims before they reach you or your insurance company. At the end of the day, the insurance companies are looking after themselves – your lawyer’s job is to look after you.
#2. Liability is unclear
It may not be obvious which driver is at fault in a car accident. When the liability for an accident is not clear, the ensuing tug-of-war can make its way into the court system. You may end up needing to go to trial, and those types of trials can be lengthy and very costly. Getting a lawyer on your side early on in the process can actually reduce the amount you need to pay in the end, because you are able to present your case clearly and cohesively from the beginning – you’re not “playing catch-up” in responding to the other driver’s accusations and lawsuits. Protecting yourself from cross-claims and counterclaims by the other party can be a big part of this process.
Getting out in front of a disputed-liability accident can make a considerable difference in your final settlement. Playing defense in proving the other driver was at fault can be very difficult – especially if they end up with a skillful car accident lawyer on their side. You need an accident injury lawyer who is good with forensic analysis, and in creating visual aids that present your perspective on the incident clearly and convincingly.
#3. The insurance company will not pay
Insurance companies do not want to pay. The company involved in your accident may be employing “bad faith insurance tactics” to avoid paying your settlement claim, or someone else’s. There are times that an insurance company flat-out refuses to make any kind of settlement offer. Whether or not your own personal negotiations are continuing with the insurer or not, you want an accident injury lawyer to represent you and your interests.
By having an accident injury attorney take on the bad faith insurance tactics of a huge company, you are hiring the resources of that attorney’s larger law firm as well. Chances are fair that this is not the first time their law firm has fought against a particular insurance company – and that experience will help to bring about a resolution more quickly.
#4. Your injuries are serious
The types of injuries you have experienced, the expected duration of your recovery, and the monetary total of your medical expenses are all used to determine your ultimate compensation. You may reach the policy limits of the insurance policy — whether this is your own insurance or the insurance of the other driver. Either way, you may be only set to receive a small part of what you actually deserve, based on insurance calculations alone. Nonetheless, a qualified accident injury lawyer can help you receive the maximum benefits that you can receive from such a settlement. The more serious your injuries are, the more important it is for you to have a great lawyer in your corner.
#5. Your injuries have made you permanently disabled
If you are disabled from the injuries you sustained, then you absolutely need a lawyer to help calculate your lifelong medical bills, other expenses, and the loss of your earning capacity over time, in addition to putting a financial amount on the devastating consequences to the changed path of your life. This is not an easy calculation, and it will often be challenged by insurers. Having an experienced accident injury lawyer at your side, advocating for you, will greatly improve your chance of getting the long-term assistance you need and deserve. There are many steps involved in proving – and continuing to defend – a permanent disability. A lawyer with extensive experience in injuries from car accidents can show you specific potential errors you should avoid and can help you to successfully make your case.
Legal Protection After an Accident Is Crucial
If you’ve been in an accident, having an accident injury attorney on your side can help in so many different ways. Contact Clements, Taylor, Butkovich and Cohen for a free consultation today. We want to know how we can advocate for you.