Of all the reasons people hire accident injury lawyers, security and protection often top the list. The lawsuits that follow such accidents can be perilous. Compensation may be surprising, and liability can shift, depending on the way the court appearances go.
Here are five instances where accident injury lawyers could help you in your situation:
#1. Multiple vehicles were involved in the accident
Any time multiple parties are in a collision, the decisions regarding liability can get very confusing. It could be the multiple parties are held responsible for the accident. If multiple people were injured, then there likely is not much compensation to go around; some lawyers may try to increase those settlements by suing additional people.
It could be that you yourself 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 ding YOUR insurance for their damages, which may reduce your own settlement money to zero.
No matter what the complicated situation may entail, it is wise to have accident injury lawyers working for you, and protecting your interests. Often, these changes in insurance billing, 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.
#2. Liability is unclear
It may not be obvious which driver is to be held at fault. When the liability at an accident site is not clear, that 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 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 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. Your legal defense can save you thousands of dollars.
Getting out in front of a disputed-liability accident can make a considerable difference. Playing defense in proving the other driver was at fault can be exceedingly difficult. You need a lawyer who is good with forensic analysis, and in creating visual aids that present your perspective on the incident clearly and attractively.
#3. The insurance company will not pay out
The insurer does not want to pay. The company 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 a lawyer to represent you.
By having an 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 sued a particular insurance company.
#4. Your injuries are serious
The types of injuries you experienced, the duration of your recovery, and the monetary total of your medical expenses are all information the insurance companies will use to determine your 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 to receive. Nonetheless, a qualified accident injury lawyer can help you receive the maximum benefits that you can receive from such a settlement.
#5. Your injuries have made you permanently disabled
If you are disabled from the injuries you sustained, then you need a lawyer to help calculate the loss of your earning capacity over time. This is not an easy calculation, and it will often be challenged by insurers. Having a legal professional at your side, advocating for you, will greatly improve your chance of getting the long-term assistance you need. There are many steps involved in proving – and continuing to defend – a permanent disability. An accident injury attorney can show you specific potential errors you should avoid.
Legal Protection After An Accident Is Crucial
If you’ve been in an accident, having an attorney on your side is can help in so many different ways. Contact Clements, Taylor, Butkovich and Cohen for a free consultation today.