If a car hits your vehicle while you’re driving, you must first determine who caused the accident. Some car owners buy video cameras that they can mount in their vehicles. This can help them prove who caused a collision if one occurs.
After the car wreck, you might hire a personal injury lawyer. They can help you get the proper compensation, whether you must sue the other driver or not. Even if you don’t sue, and the other driver admits they caused the collision, their insurance company might not pay you, or they may lowball you when they give you a settlement offer.
Your lawyer can help you with strategies for maximizing compensation after a car crash. We will discuss the steps they’ll likely take in the following article.
Before we explain how your lawyer can take steps to get you the most compensation possible, we should explain how you can find one. After a car accident, you might feel confused and intimidated. The process might seem complex as you navigate assessing your injuries, contacting your insurance company, and then contacting the other driver’s insurance provider as well.
You probably realize that you need a lawyer, but how will you locate one? First, you might consider any family members or friends.
Has anyone you know hit a vehicle with their car? Did they use a personal injury lawyer? If so, they might tell you whether they had a positive experience.
If they did, you can contact that attorney or law office. If they didn’t, you can Google something like “personal injury lawyers nearby” or car accident lawyers near me.” That should reveal some possible candidates. [However, if you're facing a DUI charge, it's crucial to find the Best DUI Lawyer in your area to ensure the best possible outcome for your case.]
Then, you can research the top hits. You can check out their websites. You can also look at any online feedback. If you see many five-star reviews, you can go with one of the names you’ve researched.
Then, you can meet with the lawyer and see whether they will represent you. You can explain your situation and see whether they have availability and a pricing structure that seems reasonable. If they do, then you can hire them and move forward.
First, your lawyer will thoroughly investigate the crash and gather any notable evidence that they can. They probably have investigators who can check out the crash site. They might interview any witnesses they can find. They may also look into any crash footage that exists.
They might find store camera footage or traffic camera footage. They can look at your dash cam footage if you have any. They might also look into whether anyone took smartphone footage and posted it online. That frequently happens these days.
They can get your medical documents if a doctor examined you after the wreck. They can get the police report and the ambulance driver’s report. Your lawyer can use all of that once they start preparing your case.
They can use that evidence in court. It can probably prove what you say happened. If you can do that, you’ll likely get maximum compensation, which you ultimately want in these cases.
Next, your attorney will calculate the total damages that you should receive. This is another situation where you’ll feel glad you have their expertise. They have done this before, so they know all the steps.
They will take into account your medical bills. Maybe a doctor saw you in the emergency room right after the accident. The hospital also charged you when you rode in the ambulance.
Maybe the doctor took an X-ray, or they ordered an MRI. Perhaps you needed surgery. You might need physical therapy after the crash if you have a soft tissue injury.
You may also need some medication afterward. You might need bandages, a cold or hot compress, a cane, or a wheelchair.
If you miss any work while recovering, you must consider your lost wages. Your attorney can also calculate the intangible elements, like pain and suffering, that go into your case.
You might not know how much you can get, but your lawyer knows. They will know about calculating pain and suffering in your state and how much that’s worth.
Finally, your lawyer can start the negotiation process. Maybe you must face the other driver’s insurance company in court, but in most cases, they will settle. They would rather not drag out the whole process, especially if they know the other driver caused the accident and you can prove it.
There’s usually only one time when the other driver’s insurance company might refuse any payment.
That could happen if they feel you caused the collision, no matter whether the other driver agrees or not. If the insurance company thinks they can prove you caused the accident, they might dig in their heels and pursue a jury verdict.
Usually, though, they will settle. It’s at this point that you really need your lawyer. Without an attorney, you can attempt a calculation that determines what the insurance company owes you, but you don’t actually know. You don’t know all of your state’s laws regarding non-economic damages and how much they are worth.
Your lawyer can go back and forth till they get you an amount that satisfies you. If they can’t, you might refuse the amount the insurance company offers and get a jury verdict. Most times, though, you will get a number that works for you, and you will accept that money.
Then, you will pay the attorney the amount to which you agreed, and you will get the remaining settlement check in the mail. You can feel sure that your attorney helped you get the maximum amount possible.
Recovering will take some time. Even if you got your money, the accident likely traumatized you. You may have PTSD, but eventually, you should start feeling better and get back behind the wheel.
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