You should hire an attorney as soon as possible after a car accident. You may deserve compensation for your damages, and a lawyer can get to work on your claim or lawsuit right away. There are also risks in not hiring a lawyer or waiting too long to hire a car accident lawyer.

Risks of Not Hiring a Lawyer After a Car Accident

If you choose not to hire a lawyer, you should recognize these significant risks:

• You will have to deal with insurers yourself: Insurance companies do not always have a policyholder’s best interests in mind. These companies have a clear financial motive to deny claims. Denying a claim means that the insurance company keeps money that it should otherwise have to pay a victim like you. Without a lawyer, you may face manipulative or deceptive practices by insurers and have to fend for yourself.
• You will have to oversee the obligations of your case: Are you prepared to calculate the cost of your damages? Can you complete all the necessary paperwork or negotiate with insurance companies? These are some of the duties you’ll have to handle if you choose not to hire a lawyer.
• Your health may suffer: If you suffered injuries in your car accident, your health must be the priority. Your health may pay the price if you try to handle a lawsuit or claim without help. Rather than prioritizing rest and recovery, you may have to tend to the demands of your case.
• You may not get the money you deserve: This may happen for several reasons. If you do not properly value your damages, you may accept a lowball settlement offer without realizing it. If your injuries prevent you from putting maximum effort into your case, you may not negotiate effectively. There are many risks in self-representation that can result in you getting less than you deserve.

A lawyer can never guarantee results. However, an attorney may have time, resources, and experience that they’ll use to fight for your financial recovery.

What if I Wait to Hire a Lawyer?

There are also risks if you hire a lawyer but wait before doing so.

In the time between your accident and hiring a lawyer, risks may include:

• Are you making statements that are damaging to your case
• Insurance companies convincing you to accept a quick (but unfair) settlement
• Evidence becoming unavailable or unusable
• Liable parties getting rid of evidence
• The deadline for filing an insurance claim or lawsuit expiring

An attorney can look out for your best interests from the very moment that you hire them. The sooner you hire a lawyer, the sooner you protect yourself from potential threats to your lawsuit or claim.

Potential Benefits of Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer

You shouldn’t just hire an attorney because you think you are supposed to.

There are real, compelling reasons to hire a lawyer after a car accident, including:

• A lawyer’s financial resources: Any law firm that handles your case will have the financial resources to complete it from start to finish. Because you only pay the lawyer a fee if it wins your case, the firm will also cover case-related expenses filing costs, expert fees, and the cost of doing business. If you do not hire a lawyer, these are expenses you will have to pay out-of-pocket.
• A lawyer’s knowledge of the law and insurance processes: The lawyer you hire should have extensive knowledge of lawsuits and insurance claims. If they represent car accident victims regularly, they will. This knowledge will allow your attorney to handle the claims or lawsuit process efficiently.
• A lawyer’s time: When you handle a claim or lawsuit on your own, the demands on your time and effort may be great. Your case may come secondary to your actual job. On the other hand, it is a lawyer’s job to resolve cases like yours. They will give their undivided attention to winning your claim or lawsuit.
• A lawyer’s team: Car accident attorneys do not operate on their own. They generally have teams of paralegals, investigators, and experts who they hire to help with a given case. Such a versatile team may make your case more formidable and give you a better chance of success as early in the process as possible.

The National Safety Council (NSC) notes that the cost of a severe car accident can reach nearly $2 million, and that’s before considering non-economic damages. Even if the cost of your damages is not this high, you may face the potential of getting (or not getting) money that you badly need.

Considering the stakes of your case, why not retain someone whose sole job is to win cases like yours?

What Kind of Lawyer Handles Car Accident Cases?

Personal injury lawyers handle car accident claims and lawsuits. These attorneys generally handle civil cases involving the potential exchange of money from one party to another.

While an injury attorney may handle many case types, automobile accidents are the typical personal injury case. Therefore, most injury firms handle many car accident cases.

How to Choose a Lawyer for a Car Accident Case?

Choosing a lawyer is always a personal decision, and you should rely on your instincts before formally retaining any law firm. However, many car accident victims have never had to hire a lawyer before and can rely on some basic criteria when conducting their search.

You may vet law firms by considering the following:

Their Case Results

Case results are an important way of gauging a law firm’s success. A firm will generally post case results on its website. If such results are unavailable online, you can ask about them during your consultation.

You may consider both the number of financial recoveries a firm has gotten in cases like yours and the value of each recovery.

Their Areas of Legal Experience

Always look closely at the type of injury and wrongful death cases that a law firm handles. If a law firm lists car accident cases as a primary practice area, this may assure you that the firm has the experience that is relevant to your case.

Their Client Testimonials

Client testimonials may tell you:

• Whether a law firm is being truthful when it claims to care about its clients
• A law firm’s strengths
• A law firm’s weaknesses
• How often a firm delivers a good experience versus a bad experience

Not every client leaves a review. However, you can get a better idea of how a lawyer operates and relates to clients when you hear it in a previous client’s own words.

Do not only consider testimonials that a law firm has on its website the firm will likely only publish positive reviews and not critical ones. Use Google and other public review forums to get a full picture of a law firm.

Your Experience During the Consultation

Consultations are useful for anyone considering a law firm.

Your consultation provides the opportunity to:

• Ask about a law firm’s qualifications to lead your case
• Learn which attorney will lead your case
• Get a taste of a law firm’s treatment of clients
• Ask if a law firm will take your case to trial
• Get a gut feeling about whether a law firm is a right choice for you

A law firm’s representative should show patience during the consultation. You should ask every question you want answers to, and the firm should never pressure you into retaining it. Hiring a car accident lawyer is an important move, and you should not rush the decision.

Determining Liability for Your Damages

A person typically hires an injury attorney because they incurred damages. Damages can include financial losses, pain and suffering, or even the loss of a loved one. A lawyer will determine who is liable for those damages.

Calculating the Cost of Your Damages

The cost of damages can vary based on:

• The types of injuries you’ve suffered in a car accident
• The severity of your injuries
• Whether you have lost a loved one
• How long your recovery takes (if recovery is possible)
• The cost of economic losses

Some injuries require a substantial financial recovery. For example, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation estimates that a spinal cord injury can cost more than $1 million in a single year. Less serious injuries may not be nearly as costly.

Gathering Documentation of Your Damages

Your lawyer will seek proof of your losses, which may include:

• Medical bills
• Medical images of your injuries
• Testimony from mental health professionals
• Proof of lost income
• Loved ones’ testimony about your damages
• Invoices for vehicle repairs
• Any other documentation that helps prove your case

An attorney may rely on investigators and paralegals to help gather proof of your damages. By proving your losses, your lawyer may leave no room for liable parties to deny your damages.

Hiring Experts

A law firm can hire experts and will generally do so at no direct cost to you. Experts may create a digital reconstruction of your accident. They may testify about how your accident happened and who they believe is liable. However, an expert helps with your case, and they may add credibility to your pursuit of financial recovery.

Completing the Day-to-Day Responsibilities of Your Case

Your lawyer will handle the day-to-day duties that your case requires, including:

• Paperwork
• Communications
• Fact-checking
• All other aspects of your lawsuit or claim

An effective lawyer will show attention to detail and an urgency to complete your case.

Negotiating a Settlement

Your attorney will represent you in settlement negotiations, which may require your lawyer to:

• Present evidence of who caused your accident
• Present documentation of your losses
• Explain their calculation of your damages
• Counter any claims that you are liable for your accident
• Respond to any other arguments against your case
• Engage in direct negotiations with representatives of liable parties

Insurance companies are often involved in these negotiations. In some cases, attorneys for liable parties may lead the negotiations. Whoever your attorney is negotiating with, they should fight for the financial recovery you deserve.

Completing a Trial

Most civil cases settle out of court. Trials are relatively rare. However, some cases go to trial when settlement negotiations are not successful. If you hire a law firm, you should first get assurance that they will take your case to trial if necessary.

Your lawyer should handle every step of the trial for you. Arguing a car accident case in court may be even more complicated than dealing with an insurance claim or negotiating a settlement. The possibility of a trial is yet another reason to consider hiring a lawyer after a car accident.

Can I Afford to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Yes. Injury lawyers ensure that anyone can afford their services. They use a contingency fee structure to do so.

When a law firm uses a contingency fee, it:

• Collects no upfront fees or costs
• Covers all case-related expenses
• Does not charge by the hour
• Gets a percentage of any judgment or settlement it gets for the client
• Only receives a fee if it wins your case

Clients never pay out of their own pocket. The lawyer’s fee comes from the financial recovery they get for the client. If the lawyer does not get that recovery, they do not receive a fee.

Call Experienced Attorneys Today to Complete Free Consultations

Do not wait to complete your free consultations. There may be a deadline for filing your case, and waiting can have catastrophic results. Call lawyers in your area today to start the legal process and begin protecting your rights today.

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