Getting injured in a vehicular accident can cause a dramatic effect on one’s life. You might require long-term health care to manage your injury and could cost you wages, making it difficult to support your loved ones.
If another driver’s negligence caused your injury, you could pursue compensation for the injury and losses incurred. Unfortunately, navigating through seeking settlement can be stressful and confusing, especially when you are undergoing recovery.
Having an auto accident attorney by your side is a wonderful idea. An experienced car accident attorney will fight for the best interests of their clients throughout the process. Moreover, he or she will offer free consultation and explain your options. The following are some ways in which a car accident attorney can assist you.
Talking to the insurer
One of the crucial roles of an attorney is to talk to the other party’s insurance company on your behalf.
Most insurance companies focus on minimizing financial payouts to accident victims and will try everything possible to deny you compensation or reduce the claim value. For instance, the insurance company might claim that you were at fault or that the injuries sustained are due to a pre-existing condition.
Car accident lawyers have the experience of working with insurers and can counter attempts to deny or devalue compensation claims
Gather evidence
Experienced car accident lawyers will gather evidence to show that the loss and injuries resulted from the accident and that the other party was at fault. Such evidence includes:
- Surveillance footage
- Police reports
- Medical records linking your injury to the accident
- Witness statements
- Pictures of the scene of the accident
- Property damage reports
Assembling Medical Documentation
Vehicular accidents often involve severe injuries such as:
- Amputations
- Spinal injuries
- Brain damage
- Nerve damage
- Fractures
- Contusions
- Concussions
That’s why your accident attorney should work with your medical doctors to get relevant documents to know the severity of the injuries, the injuries connected to the accident, and the effect the injury will have on you in the future.
Advocacy
Most vehicular accident cases get resolved out of court; however, some end in the law court. In case this happens, you require an attorney to advocate for your interest before the jury or a judge. Certainly, the insurers will have attorneys representing their interests. It will therefore help if you hire an attorney to face the other party’s lawyers in court.
Application of relevant laws
Experienced auto accident attorneys have adequate knowledge of the laws that apply to your situation. For instance, they can assess the accident to find out if the other party violated traffic laws and when the expiry date of the statute of limitations is to file your claim before then.
Negotiating a fair settlement
A car accident attorney will assist you in negotiating a fair settlement. He or she will prepare a letter that shows the claim value and how it was arrived at.
When the claim value, the accident lawyers consider the sustained damages, such as:
- The wages lost while you were recuperating from your injuries
- The medical expenses incurred
- The property damaged
- The future medical attention that may need
- The income that you might lose as a result of lasting effects occasioned by accident.
If the insurer offers you unfair compensation, your attorney should be prepared to keep on negotiating for the compensation you deserve. In the event that the insurance company becomes adamant, the attorney should be ready to file a suit to secure you justice.