In a short and hectic moment, the worst has happened. You have been in an accident.
No matter who was at fault or how it happened, there is one major thing you need to consider: do you need a lawyer.
The answer may lean towards yes more than you may think.
Here are the major reasons why you really need to hire an accident lawyer.
The 10 Reasons to Hire an Accident Lawyer
The vast majority of accidents that happen are car accidents. Getting a proper car accident lawyer can be a process, but after you read the reasons below, you might think it’s worth it.
1. Timing is Important
Dealing with an accident and a potential court case is a very time sensitive matter.
A statute of limitations is your first and most pressing obstacle in regards to the time after the accident.
A statute of limitations is the period of time after the incident that you have a legal ability to file a claim. If you do not act within this period of time, your ability to do anything will be forfeit.
This makes reacting to an accident a matter of speed. The faster you can get moving on your claim, the better, and an accident lawyer will make sure you hit the ground running.
2. Helping Against Insurance
The goal of an insurance company is to pay out as little as possible. This becomes truer in the case of an accident claim.
A knowledgable accident lawyer will know how and when to fight an insurance company. They will know the tricks that can help seal a sizeable payout.
Without an accident lawyer by your side, you risk getting a minuscule payout or even none at all.
3. Proving Liability
Liability is a sticky situation and becomes the core of an accident case. The idea behind liability is to find who was at fault in the accident, and if the accident was a cause of negligence.
This process requires a lot of processing. There are police reports, witness accounts, vehicles damages, and many more.
If you have filed any of this wrong, you may end up at fault and with a sizeable bill for damages!
A good accident lawyer can help you through the process so you don’t falter when it hurts the most.
4. A Hedge On Settling
There will be times when all of this may get settled out of court. The problem becomes knowing when that time is appropriate or if the fight will be worth it, or even needed.
A good lawyer will advise you on the best possible options for you. If they see a good reason to settle, they can guide you through the whole process and get you the best deal.
Settling isn’t detrimental in itself. Settling well does take knowledge.
5. The Power of a Contingency Fee
A common, and understandable, worry about hiring a lawyer is their cost. For those who don’t have a lot of spare money upfront for lawyer costs, there is a workaround.
Many lawyers operate off of a contingency fee. This fee is the bill for their services and comes only when you have won the case. The fee often comes out of your court winnings as a percentage.
This lowers the risk by a large amount that you can waste a lot of money on a lost court case. With a contingency fee, if you lose the case, you don’t pay!
6. Representation Throughout the Case
As most lawyers operate off of the contingency fee method, and a lawyer’s reputation often hinges on their record of winning cases, a lawyer is as invested in winning your case as you are!
Getting someone who has a need to see you win on your side can be, at the very least, a morale booster.
With a good lawyer, you at least know you have a guide towards the best possible outcome.
7. You Don’t Get a Redo
If you go to court and lose a case, you cannot refile a claim.
This means that the first try has to be the best try. Representing yourself could feel like a cheaper and easier route to take, but you may find that there are a lot of issues with it.
Losing in court can mean a serious expense, often one that eclipses the potential lawyer fee. Your one shot is not worth risking.
8. You Have No Experience
As above, this list has shown that the one thing you may not have over an accident lawyer is the experience.
A lot of legal battles end in a win or loss through knowing what you can and can’t do, and when you should do them. Making a wrong move could cost you the whole case.
Representing yourself is never a profitable idea unless you are a lawyer yourself.
9. Major Disabilities and Injuries
A bad car accident can mean serious injuries and potential long-term disabilities.
With the high cost of many medical bills, you need to make sure that you get the absolute most out of your court case.
Gathering the high amount of medical proof that the accident has damaged to a major degree is more and more paperwork that you will need to file.
Take the easy route, and let your lawyer gather and set up your files for you. Your payout will thank you.
10. Poor Adjuster Offers
A common occurrence when it comes to filing a claim is not filing a claim at all. They go through an agent called a claims adjuster.
The job of this claims adjuster is to determine the amount of payout you can get from the insurance company on your behalf. The problem with this is that they are an agent of the insurance company, and as such aren’t on your side.
Without a proper lawyer, this claims adjuster process can mangle your payout and may even ruin your potential at a proper claim to file. Bypass the nasty process with a proper accident lawyer.
Keeping Yourself Safe
You are at your most vulnerable after an accident. Having that peace of mind and security that comes from getting a good accident lawyer is invaluable.
We here at Bitter Empire are full of good advice and practical methods. Interested in more information on your court dates? Follow this link here.