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If you get involved in a car accident, you are not legally mandated to get a lawyer involved. However, if you’re being careful and want to cover all your bases, you can hire your own accident attorney. In fact, if you are an accident victim, hiring an accident lawyer may be a smart move.
The main objective of lawyers is to ensure that liability is avoided at all costs and to determine if you can be compensated for your losses. A motor vehicle accident may leave you with repair costs, along with medical bills that you need to pay urgently. If you need to take time off from work, attend therapy sessions, or deal with a lifelong disability caused by an accident, matters may get worse.
Your Lawyer May Be Able to Get You Some Compensation
Even if a car accident wasn’t your fault, by hiring an accident attorney, you would increase your chances of getting the compensation that is rightfully deserved. Whether you need to pay your mechanic or go to the hospital to get your wounds bandaged, money will be going out of your pocket. Why should you suffer for something that wasn’t your fault? Hence, shifting your financial burden may actually help. In case of a car accident that isn’t your fault, you may collect for:
- Lost wages if you have to take days off from work because of an injury or trauma related to the accident.
- Pain and suffering caused by the accident.
- Lower earning capacity because of an injury caused by the accident.
- Damages to assets, such as your car.
Sure, there are many other ways you can collect your due compensation after getting into a car accident, but they may not be extremely convenient or applicable. In fact, time, money, and resources may be wasted while trying to get compensation the wrong way. A lawyer will be able to pay attention to detail and dive straight in instead of beating around the bush and wasting time.
Does Your Insurance Company Need to be Informed Before Your Attorney?
The answer is a straight-up no. You should never call your insurance company before you call your attorney. Every insurance company, regardless of how good they are or the promises they make, will try to get a minimal payout as it will not be their concern.
In fact, the insurance company might also twist your words to make it sound like you were the one at fault and do not deserve to ask for the amount that you may be asking for initially. Some insurance companies may also flat-out deny your claim. If you hire a lawyer, he will be able to fight strategically on your behalf and ensure that you are not pushed around by anyone, including your insurance company.
When you get into a car accident, an insurance claim with the insurance company needs to be filed as soon as possible, along with a claim with the driver’s insurance company as well. In most places, the driver who is at fault needs to cover the cost of property damage, along with any medical expenses that may occur on the end of the other party. However, an insurance company might also cover these costs.
We understand that determining when to file a claim with your own insurance and when to file a claim with the other party’s insurance may be tricky. However, this is why you should rely on your insurance lawyer to help you figure out things.
What You Should Do If You Get into an Accident
If you get into a car accident, the first thing you must do is call the police so that you can file a report. By law, you must inform the police after a car accident and file a report in case anyone has been hurt in the car accident, whether the car has been towed, or if either of the cars was damaged in the accident.
Moreover, if you have any doubt that the other driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you must report it immediately. One of the first things you need to do when you get into an accident is to make sure to take pictures of both cars so that the relevant authorities can evaluate the damage in case things get ugly.
Once you have filed a report, you must pay a visit to your doctor and get a general medical examination to ensure that you are not hurt and are safe and healthy. You never know- you may have received internal injuries that you may not instantly know about. Keep in mind that some injuries do not show instantly but can cause loads of harm in the future.
Does the Police Report You File Contain Information About Who Was at Fault?
Depending on the officer who was on duty during the time that the accident occurred, there may be different viewpoints of who was at fault and how the accident occurred. A police report written by an officer may contain his point of view and may wrongly put the blame on you, but that is how your accident attorney may help.
In case the officer’s findings are flawed, your personal lawyer will be able to maneuver away and fight your case for you. In case a ticket is given to you or an arrest is wrongly made, your insurance company will use it in the court of evidence to ensure that you are paid the minimum amount. However, your insurance attorney will have your back and your best interests in mind.
The bottom line is that even if you get into a car accident that wasn’t your fault in the first place, you should definitely get yourself an accident lawyer. It is better to be safe than sorry. The world is a cruel place where everyone is out to exploit you. The only way to stay safe is to protect yourself.
Visit our website or contact us today at (404) 390-4224 to schedule your free consultation with one of our award-winning attorneys.