Do I Need to Contact my Lawyer After My Car Accident?

Many car accident casualties have to deal with severe injuries and high medical bills alone. To make matters worse, insurance companies usually offer very low settlements that are not enough to cover damages and losses. The moment your accident happened, it was a countdown of the serious financial challenges coming your way. The first one is high medical bills, followed by a missed paycheck. If you don’t contact a lawyer immediately after a crash, you will become overwhelmed with financial problems you cannot solve.

That is why you should call an attorney after your accident, especially a car accident lawyer at Salamati Law Firm in Los Angeles. This will give the qualified attorney time to collect sufficient witness accounts and evidence that may not be available after a few days or weeks. Moreover, it will enable the lawyer to quickly gather evidence and build a strong case for you. When you call a lawyer immediately, you increase your chances of getting compensation sooner.

What to do after a crash

Call police officers

You should notify police officers and paramedics about the accident so they can come and assist casualties at the crash scene. It is important to seek medical help. Injuries such as concussions and whiplash can go untreated and worsen in the long run. Moreover, your medical records and a police report will play a huge role in establishing liability and fault. Without medical or police report evidence, it may only be your word against theirs.

Collect evidence

Evidence should be gathered through snapping pictures of the license plates, the damage the vehicle has sustained, and the traffic patterns intersections. Moreover, you could get the phone numbers of the eyewitnesses and their information. This could help the lawyers establish who is at fault.

Contact a Car accident lawyer

Insurance companies will always try to reduce liability by offering very low settlements to accident victims. The settlement they will give will not cover all your losses and damages. However, when you call an experienced attorney, they will begin to build your case and will help you get an adequate settlement for recovery.

Advantages of hiring an attorney

Lawyers help victims in the following ways;

Getting a lot of compensation

Car crash victims who work with a lawyer receive way more compensation than those who don’t. A professional lawyer will build the case and show the insurance company how much money they owe you. They are not scared of facing insurance companies head-on and will fight for you to ensure you get sufficient compensation for recovery.

Dealing with insurance companies

Insurance companies will always try to reduce liability when compensating victims. You should reach out to a lawyer to fight for your just compensation. Your lawyer will face big insurance companies and ensure they give you what you deserve.

Filing important paperwork

It is important to file a personal injury lawsuit and a claim. These files must be professionally filed to ensure the case proceeds as planned. Your lawyer will help you to ensure you get a favourable outcome. Paperwork that has been wrongly done will delay your case and prevent you from accessing the compensation you need.

Avoid missing deadlines

Your lawyer will stay on top of deadlines and ensure you do not miss deadlines like the statute of limitations. Crash victims in California have only 2 years from the accident date to file a compensation claim against the party that was at fault. In California, the insurance company that covers the party at fault will be required to cover the damages. Your experienced lawyer will act quickly to protect your compensation rights.

Contingency basis

Many lawyers operate on a contingency basis. This means you will not part with any money until they win. Therefore, an injured person from any background can seek justice after a nasty accident, not just the wealthy and rich.

Thorough and professional investigation

A lawyer has a lot of experience when it comes to investigating car crashes. Lawyers often use help from forensic specialists, accident recreation teams, and experts to determine the liable parties.

When you should call a lawyer

If you have been involved in a very severe or complex crash, you should call a lawyer immediately so they can start building and strengthening your case. Some of the reasons why you should have a lawyer are:

• The crash caused significant injuries and substantial medical bills.
• The fault is not clearly established.
• There was a collision in a school zone.
• There was an uninsured or underinsured driver.
• There was a minor collision with significant vehicle damage
• You got injured or your passenger was injured.
• There was significant work missed during recovery.
• You have problems with insurance limits and car repairs.

Things to provide to your lawyer

After contacting a lawyer, you will need to provide some documents to strengthen the case. You should avail information such as; contact information, police report, key facts about the case, medical receipts, witness contact information, and photos of accident scenes or vehicle damage. In California, you may be able to receive compensation whether you were partly responsible for the crash or not. For instance, if it is established that you were 10% responsible for the crash, you will receive 90% compensation for the damages. The compensation will account for losses such as lost income, mental and physical anguish, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and loss of wages.

 

Conclusion

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car crash and the other driver was the one at fault, their insurance company may offer you a very low settlement. They may also trick you into making untrue statements that may significantly lower your claim’s value. The low settlement will not cover the damages fully or the future medical treatment. That is why you should contact a lawyer to negotiate with the insurance company directly. If you have been involved in a car crash, you should contact a reputable and trustworthy lawyer. A great attorney will do their best to ensure you get just compensation for an accident you did not cause.

Being involved in a car crash is a traumatic experience. The injuries sustained may permanently change your life and cause lifelong disabilities. When you contact a lawyer immediately after a car crash, your case will be processed quickly, and you will receive compensation sooner. With adequate compensation, you will be able to concentrate on making a full recovery without worrying about medical bills or lost income. If you have been injured, you need the best lawyer on your side from the beginning to the end to protect your rights.