Why You Should Hire a Car Accident Lawyer To Work Your Case
There are roughly more than six million car accidents in the U.S. annually. These accidents may cause bodily harm to you or a third party, or physically damage the vehicles involved in the accident. Most people, in the face of an accident, tend to panic a lot or become easily aggravated if they feel the other party is in the wrong. However, this only adds more drama to an unfortunate accident, which is by then irreversible. Instead, the better option is to contact a car accident lawyer who will guide you on the way forward, especially if the results of the accident are dire.
Car accident attorneys will help you make a car accident insurance claim. A good car accident lawyer will expedite your injury claims resulting from the accident. For the most part, it is ill-advised to represent yourself in a car accident case. Of the 1,315,561 lawyers that practice in the United States, there are sure to be car accident lawyers who can expertly represent your case.
The following information will help guide you when deciding to hire a car accident lawyer
1. The Seriousness of the Accident
If your car accident is tragic and results in major physical injuries or fatality, you should hire a lawyer right away. As this results in heavy medical expenses and disruption of income, your insurance should compensate you. Depending on your insurance policy, you may be entitled to total or partial compensation. Unfortunately, some insurances take longer to approve a claim and involve a complex process with a lot of paperwork.
Hiring an experienced car accident attorney will make the process faster, and you will be assured to get the right amount of compensation without getting short-changed by your insurance. However, if your accident is a minor one with little damage to your car, it is not necessary to seek legal representation. You can take it up with your insurance and easily have your car fixed.
2. Best Time To Seek a Car Accident Lawyer
In the case that your car accident is serious, you should hire a car attorney as soon as possible. Different states have different timelines that you can file for personal injury claims. If you delay your application of injury claim, you might not qualify for compensation. Therefore, it is important that you contact a lawyer within two weeks of your accident. This should be before you settle with your insurance provider.
Most people make the common mistake of settling with the insurance company without involving an attorney, only to find out that they have been under-compensated. For victims in critical condition, family members should contact a lawyer to help in claiming compensation. Although this varies from state to state, a competent lawyer will help the beneficiaries of the injured or deceased to claim compensation to cover occurred medical bills and support themselves financially.
3. Questions To Ask Your Car Accident Attorney
Besides having important documents such as your insurance policy in place, you should ask your attorney a few questions to prove credibility. First, your lawyer should be upfront with the structure of the legal fees. Find out the percentage your lawyer will take from your compensation. You should agree beforehand on the percentage of the fee applicable. It will also help you know the legal expenses you will pay. Additionally, find out how much of your lawyer’s practice is devoted to car accident cases. Essentially, you want your lawyer to be vastly experienced in car accident cases. It is also important to know beforehand the range of compensation that is generally granted to similar cases. It will help you manage your expectations.
Typically, your car accident lawyer will handle your case on a no-win-no-pay basis, meaning that the attorney will only collect a fee if the case is won in your favor. The car accident lawyer gets roughly 30– 40% of the compensation awarded as attorney fees. It is best to discuss the fee percentage before officially hiring a car accident lawyer to represent you in court.
