While there are millions of car accidents in the U.S. every year — some sources say around 6 million — not all of them result in injuries.
If you’re injured in a vehicle collision as a driver, passenger, or even pedestrian, the best thing you can do is contact a car accident lawyer. Navigating the process of filing a claim is hard enough after the physical, emotional, and mental trauma of a vehicle accident.
You’ll need medical assistance, which can get pricey if you pay out of pocket. Pursuing a claim with the help of a lawyer will make things easier.
Here are five reasons to retain the services of a car accident lawyer after a fender bender.
- Focus on Recovery
When you hire a lawyer, the legal representative will do the heavy lifting so you can focus on getting better. Remember that the impact post-injury can be severe in many ways.
Having to go through the claim process independently — while also trying to get better health-wise — will be too much to tackle. A lawyer will help take a load off your mind so you don’t have to go it alone.
- Get Help Filling Out Documents
Don’t underestimate the importance of filling out documents properly. Failing to do this could delay your personal injury claim or jeopardize the claim altogether.
A lawyer will lead the process so you get the help you need. Trying to do everything independently will overwhelm you at a time when you don’t need more stress.
- Potentially Close Your Claim Faster
While there’s no guarantee your personal injury case will close as fast as you want, it’s also true it’ll close faster than if you try to handle the claim independently. A personal injury lawyer knows what evidence to gather, how to build a strong case, what types of health experts can bolster the case, and how to effectively go toe-to-toe with insurers.
You’ll likely be out of your depth if you go it alone at the bargaining table with an insurer.
A personal injury case can take a couple of years to conclude. If you want it to end as soon as possible, hire a personal injury lawyer.
- Negotiate a Fair Settlement
If you work with the insurance company directly, you likely won’t get a fair compensation offer. Moreover, you might not even know what constitutes a just offer to begin with.
A personal injury lawyer, meanwhile, will do research and assess things like past expenses, current needs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future needs to determine an appropriate amount to request.
If an insurer offers a lowball amount, your lawyer will know and make a counter-proposal. And if the insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith, your lawyer will take the matter to court. The goal will be to get you the best offer under the circumstances.
- Represent You in Court
A lawyer can represent you in court when discussions don’t lead to a suitable compensation offer. While some people choose to represent themselves in court, that’s a bad gamble. Remember that a lot is at stake. You need the expertise and experience of a personal injury lawyer during the process.
No one wants to deal with a personal injury that puts them on the sidelines and changes their life in the worst ways possible. But accidents sometimes happen. When they do, you need a personal injury lawyer who can help you get the help you desperately need to move on with your life.
