Protecting Your Rights: 5 Reasons You Need a Lawyer After a Car Crash

There is no way to get around how devastating car accidents can be for families, causing people to lose productivity, and incur medical costs, property damage, court costs, and more. If you’ve been in a car accident recently, you may be hoping everything will resolve itself, but the fact is car accidents can get complicated quickly. Understanding the reasons to get a lawyer after a car accident will allow you to protect your rights and get the compensation you need to move on with your life.

Read on to learn five reasons why you need to get a lawyer after a car accident and who to turn to for expert help.

1. Experience and Knowledge of the Law

Without legal training, understanding the various laws that apply to your situation can be extremely challenging. Not only that but not knowing the laws can lead to you receiving less compensation and going through court proceedings alone.

Accident attorneys thoroughly understand the laws in your state and can explain them to you in terms you can understand.

Even more, not being aware of all of the laws can prevent you from claiming compensation you’re otherwise entitled to. For example, each state has a different statute of limitations. This means you only have a specific period to file a lawsuit over damages and injuries caused by a car accident. States like California allow for two years, while other states extend this to three years.

Accident lawyers are also knowledgeable about the settlement process overall and will know exactly how much compensation you’re entitled to by law.

Courtroom Experience

Even though most car accident cases are settled before trial, there is still a chance that your case can become complicated and go to court. When this occurs, having an accident attorney who has experience handling cases similar to yours is essential.

They understand the entire court process, like filing deadlines and collecting evidence, and know what to expect during a trial.

One of the most significant things an accident attorney does is prepare you for trial. Preparing well for trial builds the strongest case possible, and this is most likely to persuade a judge or jury to rule in your favor.

Your attorney will thoroughly investigate the accident, collect more evidence, and identify any weaknesses in your case. They’ll also prepare diagrams and photographs and file various court motions for you. Attorneys also ensure you’re well prepared for a trial and able to answer questions in case you have to testify.

Finally, they may be able to negotiate a final settlement before the trial begins. Overall, having the experience of an accident attorney prepares you for any outcome.

2. Able to Obtain More Evidence

Collecting evidence after an accident is critical to determining who is at fault. If you can prove liability beyond a reasonable doubt, then you’ve won your case.

After an accident, you’ll need to be able to explain to an insurance adjuster how the other person was at fault and how much that cost you. The burden of proof is on you and you need to be able to support your version of events.

In many cases, people are very rushed after a crash and aren’t able to take time to collect as much evidence as possible. The good news is that professional personal injury law firms have systems that allow for efficient evidence collection.

Accident Documents and Photographs

To prove your case, you’ll need specific evidence that shows the other driver was responsible for the accident. Evidence to prove this includes crash footage, witness testimony, police reports, and vehicle damage analysis.

Some of the most essential evidence includes crash debris, pictures of skid marks, and witness statements. It’s also crucial to have pictures that show the damage to your car and the other cars involved in the accident.

You’ll need records of the weather and road conditions, locations of traffic signs and signals, and the exact accident coordinates.

Medical Documentation

Your lawyer will obtain medical records like emergency room records, surgical records, specialist visits, and a medication list. They’ll also need to collect medical bills so you have a running tally of the total treatment costs.

Remember, medical documentation extends past your doctor’s visits. This includes costs like ambulance services, medications, home care, skilled nursing, and physical and occupational therapies.

If you’re dealing with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder after an accident, you’ll likely need additional therapies. Your attorney will obtain all medical documents regarding this as well as the likelihood of future therapies. 

All of this impacts your long-term ability to function normally and earn income.

Video Footage

Many people who own newer cars have dashboard cameras that record everything that occurs in front of their car.

In fact, dashcam footage can be some of the most reliable evidence since it can show exactly how the accident occurred from moment to moment. 

Your attorney will question witnesses and try to gather as much of this footage as possible. They’ll also check with local businesses for video footage from the time of the accident.

3. Experts in Insurance Negotiation 

Insurance negotiation tends to be one of the trickiest aspects of dealing with an accident claim. It’s also one of the most important since how you deal with it can impact the amount of your settlement.

Don’t forget that an insurance company is a business and stays in business by making money. Therefore, insurance companies will typically do whatever it takes to offer the lowest settlement agreement possible.

Insurance adjusters will take you through a series of questions about the accident and record your answers. They’ll begin by making informal conversation to get you to feel relaxed.

The problem with this is, you can get too comfortable and answer questions that could damage your case. For example, if you have injuries, you’ll need to wait for a thorough assessment from your doctor. Many injuries like whiplash don’t show symptoms right away, and you could end up needing more treatment in the future.

If you accept a settlement early, you could miss out on compensation you need to pay for ongoing medical expenses. You also need to be careful when giving estimates about car speeds, distances, or time frames when discussing the accident.

An experienced car accident attorney knows exactly how to negotiate with insurance companies to help you get the most compensation possible.

4. Helps You Calculate and Recognize Damages

It’s difficult to comprehend the full scale of damage a car accident can cause. Even accidents that seem minor at first can have a ripple effect, impacting your life for years to come.

It’s common to only see immediate concerns like physical injuries and car repair costs. However, there are long-term consequences an accident attorney will help you to see.

These additional damages include ongoing medical costs, disability, emotional distress, loss of ability to work, and loss of income. Many damages like medical injuries and emotional damage, can take a while to become visible.

Lost wages can be immediate, but can also result in a decreased earning ability that may last for the rest of your life. Sometimes accidents take a huge toll and often people aren’t able to return to their usual line of work.

Pain and suffering can also become unbearable, preventing you from completing daily tasks and enjoying the pleasurable things in life.

A car accident attorney will do a thorough assessment and calculate any potential compensation you may be able to qualify for. Without an attorney, you’re more likely to settle for a smaller settlement early on in the case.

5. You Won’t Pay Upfront Fees

Cost doesn’t get in the way of hiring an accident attorney. This is because most accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.

A contingency fee is a form of payment for legal services. As opposed to hourly fees, where you have to pay for every hour of work an attorney does, a contingency fee allows for a different type of fee structure.

Lawyers who work on contingency receive a percentage of your total settlement for their services.

Although this percentage can vary, you won’t have to pay out of pocket unless the attorney wins your case. You’ll sign a contract with your lawyer that will outline how the contingency arrangement works.

Usually, if your case is settled without a trial, you’ll pay a lower percentage than if you have to go to court. 

Your attorney will review these fees in detail during your initial consultation so you’ll have a better understanding of what you’ll need to pay.

Don’t Overlook These Reasons to Get a Lawyer After a Car Accident

Overlooking these reasons to get a lawyer after a car accident can significantly impact your long-term compensation.

Now it’s time to take the next steps by turning to an experienced local law firm you can trust, like Sweet Lawyers. We have over 40 years of experience helping accident victims get the compensation they deserve.

We realize that every case is unique and will ensure we give your situation a customized approach to help you get the most compensation possible.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and get a case evaluation that will help you move forward with your life.