Is it Worth Getting a Lawyer for a Car Accident
Many car accident victims are hesitant to hire a lawyer after an accident. It can be easy to dismiss the need for a car accident attorney, especially if you have no expectation of going to court.
You may worry about looking greedy or selfish, but the reality is that you are leveling the playing field. The insurance company covering the other party certainly has attorneys at its disposal.
Below, we explain the benefits of working with an attorney and help you recover the compensation you need to cover your losses.
Knowing When It’s Time to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
While a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you protect yourself in just about any situation, some are more appropriate than others.
Some indicators that it may be time to call a personal injury lawyer include:
- The other person or entity is denying liability
- You suffered significant injuries
- The claim is complex or high-value
- There are multiple involved parties
- The insurance company is giving low offers
We are often best able to protect you when you call us early. Whether you know you need a lawyer or are uncertain, you can call us to discuss your situation and determine the best approach. This can save you from being victimized by the insurance company should they try to take advantage of your lack of experience in negotiating claims.
An attorney can help ensure you are not taken advantage of during negotiations.
The Role of a Northern California Car Accident Lawyer
A personal injury lawyer often takes on many tasks to get your situation resolved.
These might include:
- Acting as the point of contact for anything regarding your case
- Filing legal documents
- Negotiating a settlement offer on your behalf
- Preparing you for meetings, dispositions, or court
Ideally, working with a personal injury attorney takes away the stress of a more complicated insurance claim or lawsuit. We will handle the day-to-day and call you when it’s time to make a decision or when we have updates.
Another benefit of working with an experienced personal injury lawyer is that they can often help you maximize the compensation you receive.
Identifying All Available Damages
Calculating Long-Term Costs and Future Losses
Many accident victims may not consider the long-term implications of their injuries. However, a qualified personal injury attorney is more likely to consider your future needs accurately. This may mean bringing in expert witnesses or knowing what questions to ask your doctor about your prognosis and recovery.
Avoiding Low Settlement Offers
An effective personal injury lawyer is also a skilled negotiator. They can often help you increase your recovery through strong negotiation, and by helping you minimize liability they may try to pin on you. The state of California operates under a pure comparative negligence model. This allows you to recover compensation as long as you are no more than 99% at fault.
However, the model reduces your recovery by the percentage of liability you assume. So, while you may still receive compensation if you have 5% liability, you can receive only 95% of the total damages.
An Attorney Can Negotiate with the Insurance Company on Your Behalf
You are well within your rights to accept or deny any settlement offer the insurance company gives you. However, our team often advises our clients to deny some of these early numbers for a few reasons. The first is that the adjuster is likely starting at their lowest possible valuation of your injuries. Like with many negotiations, they are likely prepared to go up with adequate evidence.
Additionally, you may not know the full extent of your injuries when you accept an offer immediately.
We often advise you to try reaching your maximum medical improvement before accepting an offer. This can provide a more realistic long-term view of your needs.
An Attorney Fights For You When Your Case Goes to Court
You may be confident working with your insurance adjuster in the beginning, but an attorney can be invaluable if the situation escalates or your case goes to court. When you go in front of a judge, you are no longer dealing with the insurance adjuster directly, but facing the attorney representing the insurance company or other party.
Many firms are able to jump into your case at the time that it goes to trial or when you choose to file a lawsuit. However, when you work with a lawyer early on, your case is better prepared for court. This means you can spend time refining your case, not trying to set the foundation of a court-ready argument.
Trying to handle a personal injury case on your own can be a huge undertaking, especially when you’re also trying to focus on recovering from your injuries. Our team at Curtis Legal Group can offer more than 70 years of experience supporting injury victims. We can handle the legal complexities and minutiae of your case, leaving you to focus on your well-being and worry only about the important decisions.