A car accident is a traumatic event that can lead to catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord injuries, and broken bones. A victim will have to endure intense physical pain, expensive damages, and mental anguish after a car accident. To recover compensation for these damages, they could file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
While they could handle the claims process independently, this could limit their compensation due to their lack of experience. Hiring a car accident lawyer can ease the stress of this process, as they can use their experience to handle the claims process effectively and efficiently.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
The immediate aftermath of a car accident can be a challenging and stressful time. Confusion can arise as you struggle with handling the physical pain of your injuries and the damage done to your vehicle. On top of that, you may wonder how you will pay for all the damage caused by the negligent party’s actions.
The following are some steps you should complete following a car accident:
- Contact the police: You should make sure to let local law enforcement know of any car accident you were involved in, especially if it resulted in an injury, death, or significant amount of property damage. The responding officer can note what happened at the accident scene, collect statements from everyone involved, and file a report that you can access to prove liability down the line.
- Receive medical attention: Severe car accident injuries, such as a spinal cord injury, need medical attention immediately to prevent further complications. Some severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), may have delayed symptoms. That’s why it’s vital to see a doctor, so they can conduct tests to check for any severe injuries and begin to administer treatment.
- Collect evidence at the accident scene: If you are physically able to, collecting evidence from the scene of the accident can help future litigation. This primarily applies to photos and videos of the vehicle damage, your injuries, and any road signs, debris, or road conditions.
- File a car accident claim: If your insurance does not cover the full cost of your car accident damages, you could file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. This involves proving the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, breached it, and caused your car accident damages as a result.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help With a Car Accident Claim?
If you decide to file a car accident claim to recover compensation for damages, you should hire a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Hiring one early allows you to let them handle the process from the beginning, ensuring every step of the process is handled in a way to maximize your potential compensation.
The following are some of the things a car accident attorney can do to help with your claim:
- Determine the liable party
- Assess damages
- Send out the demand letter
- Collect evidence and records to prove the at-fault party’s liability
- Handle discovery
- Interview expert witnesses
- Negotiate a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company
- Represent you in court
Is a Car Accident Lawyer Worth the Price?
As a car accident victim, you may believe that you should handle the car accident claim process on your own since a car accident lawyer can cost money that you do not have. While you can handle the process independently, this can affect the level of compensation you can recover. Remember, you will be negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurance company, who have tricks and techniques they’ve used over decades of insurance claims to limit potential settlements.
On top of negotiating with an insurance company looking to keep its profits up, you will be dealing with the pain of your car accident injuries. Juggling injury recovery, a job, your relationships, and car accident litigation can be too much for someone without law experience to handle effectively. Hiring a car accident lawyer can help ease the stress of this process and maximize your potential compensation for car accident damages.
Contingency Fees for Car Accident Attorneys
If you are worried about how you will pay your car accident lawyer, it’s important to know most lawyers employ contingency fees. This is an agreed-upon amount by the client and lawyer for how the lawyer will get paid upon a successful resolution to your case. Contingency fees basically mean that your car accident lawyer will not get paid unless you do too.
What Should You Look For In a Car Accident Lawyer?
The most important thing when it comes to choosing a car accident lawyer is trust. You must be able to trust that your car accident lawyer has your best interests in mind, will follow the rules of the law, and has the ability to handle your car accident claim effectively. Some car accident lawyers take on too many clients and may not have the right amount of focus on your claim. This can lead to mistakes that can limit your potential compensation.
Before hiring a car accident lawyer, it’s vital for you to get a handle on their experience, how they represent clients, and whether you can trust them. Take advantage of online testimonials, information on the internet about a car accident lawyer you are considering hiring, and free consultations to gather all the information you need on your car accident lawyer to see if they are the right fit for your case.
How Long Do You Have to Hire a Car Accident Attorney?
Each state has its own rules regarding how long you have to file a car accident claim. The time you have to file a claim is called the statute of limitations, and the time starts to elapse on the day of the car accident. Consult your state’s laws to determine how long you must file a car accident claim.
No matter how long you have to file a car accident claim, it’s vital you look for a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Your health condition will change daily, and more information will also come out as time goes along. Having a car accident lawyer by your side through all of it allows them to adjust their plan as the case develops and prevents you from having to catch up a car accident lawyer on all that’s happened over the course of multiple weeks, months, or years.
What Damages Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help You Collect Compensation For?
Damages are losses caused by a negligent party during a car accident. These include losses that you have already suffered and those that can happen over time. A car accident lawyer can help you calculate the current and future damages that the at-fault party is liable for.
There are two common types of car accident damages that you can pursue compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those with a monetary value attached to them, which can include medical bills, lost earning potential, and property damage. Non-economic damages are intangible losses after a car accident that reflect how the crash altered your life, including pain and suffering, loss of society, and mental anguish.
The following are some of the car accident damages you could pursue compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Disability costs
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
- Inconvenience
- Loss of society
- Loss of companionship
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Car Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, our experienced car accident attorneys have helped car accident victims across the United States for decades. We have a proven track record of getting results for our clients that can help put them back on their feet. Our experienced car accident lawyers consistently communicate with our clients to ensure we represent their interests at every stage of the car accident claim process.
The personal injury lawyers at The Russo Firm help victims of all kinds of motor vehicle accidents and we can help you too. If you were in a car accident, contact The Russo Firm today for a free consultation by calling us at (561) 270-0913 or filling out our online contact page.
