If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a car accident where you suffer an injury you may need to take time off work and face some hefty medical bills, all of which means you could be severely out of pocket unless you get some compensation.
It can be a daunting process to try and deal with this situation on your own, especially when you are focused on getting better, which is why it might be a good idea to talk through details about your case with a lawyer so that you can establish if you need some help with putting your life and finances back on track.
Here is a look at when it is a good idea to hire a car accident lawyer and why you need someone on your side in order to get the compensation you deserve.
Can you trust an insurance company to pay you what you are owed?
As much as you would like to think that an insurance company will be happy to pay every claim that they receive in full the reality is obviously somewhat different from that scenario.
The very fact that insurance firms employ loss adjusters to try and limit their liabilities should tell you everything you need to know about their attitude toward paying claims and you should take the view that they will be trying to devalue or even deny your claim from the very moment they receive notification of your accident.
Battling for the right compensation is not something that many of us are equipped to do because we don’t have the legal background or in-depth knowledge of insurance claims procedures.
The bottom line is that there is a good argument for saying that the only way you can fight your corner on equal terms is to hire a lawyer who has the experience needed to try and make the insurance firm see things from your perspective.
When the insurance company asks you for a statement
A typical tactic used by insurers to try and limit your ability to make a successful claim is when they reach out to you after the accident and ask you to make a statement.
It is never a good idea to provide this statement without consulting a lawyer.
You may have nothing to hide from the insurer and want to cooperate fully with them in order to move the claim forward but you need to be mindful that the information you provide could be used against you at a later date.
You may not be able to think straight shortly after being involved in an accident and the true extent of your injuries may not be revealed for a few weeks or even months.
If you direct all communication from the insurer through your attorney they will cease direct contact with you and that will ensure that you are able to provide the information they are requesting in a more controlled manner, once you have had the chance to evaluate your injuries and talk your case through in detail.
Seeking professional representation shows you are serious about your claim:
It is likely that if you choose to represent yourself when making an accident and injury claim this will encourage an insurance company to make a lower settlement offer in the hope that you will crumble under the pressure and walk away with what they offer you.
The standard protocol that is often adopted by insurers when there is an accident claim is to make you a settlement offer within a matter of days after the accident in the hope that you will be tempted to take the money and draw a line under the episode.
In the early days after being involved in an accident, it is likely that you don’t really know how badly injured you actually are and you may not have had a full medical evaluation to determine the extent of your injuries.
Insurers tend to take a view that if you represent yourself in a claim they will have a greater degree of control over the outcome and won’t have to pay out as much to you.
You don’t want that to happen, which is why you should show the insurer how serious you are by appointing an injury lawyer to represent you.
Being able to prove that you have suffered harm:
It might seem a strange thing to say when you have suffered physical injuries that are pretty obvious to anyone who sees you after a car accident but you do have to be able to prove the extent of your injuries to be able to get the right amount of compensation.
It is entirely possible that you might have suffered some mental and physical injuries that you did not even realize had been sustained without being asked to undergo a thorough medical examination.
There is also the potential economic harm that you have suffered as a result of the accident and that is why you should consider professional representation as a lawyer with experience in this field will explore all the right avenues on your behalf.
Nothing to lose and everything to gain:
It is also well worth pointing out that most car accident lawyers will start working for you without asking for any money upfront.
They will pick up the expenses attached to the case and work hard to get you a positive result that you are happy with.
How do you know they will work hard to win you the right level of compensation?
If your lawyer is only going to get paid once they have achieved a positive outcome that is a powerful incentive to do the very best they can to get a compensation settlement.
That alone is a good reason to appoint a car accident lawyer. Add in the other points already mentioned and you should be asking yourself why you wouldn’t want a professional like that on your side when you have to do battle against an insurance company to get the compensation you are entitled to.
