Some car accidents are minor, resulting in only a few hundred dollars in vehicle damages and no injuries. These types of accidents are often straightforward and easily resolved through insurance claims. However, some car accidents are more severe, causing life-changing injuries and thousands of dollars in medical bills and other expenses.
You should get a lawyer for a car accident when you have been seriously injured and incurred major expenses that you want to recover, particularly when someone else’s careless or reckless actions are responsible for your accident.
How a Lawyer Could Help with Your Case
If you have been severely hurt, you are probably worried about missing work and paying your bills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), data from 2012 found the average crash-related emergency department visit costs more than $3,000. Additionally, hospitalization may cause nearly $60,000 in costs over a person’s lifetime.
If you are facing large medical bills and have missed more than a few days of work, you should consider getting a lawyer.
Awards You Could Win in a Car Accident Case
Medical bills can add up quickly. Treatments for serious injuries, like broken bones or internal damage, can require surgeries, rehabilitation, and other expensive care. Serious injuries also require time to heal. You could miss weeks or more of work. An attorney can help you seek wages lost because of your accident.
You may also receive awards for pain and suffering you have endured. If you lost a family member because of injuries they suffered in a car accident, you could sue for wrongful death benefits.
What a Lawyer Can Do for You
There are many ways of working with a lawyer that may benefit you. After an accident, you may need to:
- Ensure the proper authorities receive a report of your accident.
- Begin the process of filing an insurance claim.
- Gather documentation related to your accident and injuries.
- Determine whether you need to file a civil lawsuit.
- Learn more about your state’s insurance laws, and when you may sue.
- Know what the statutes of limitations are for your case.
- Prove someone else is liable for your accident.
- Make sure you are seeking the compensation needed to pay your expenses.
This is a lot, and it may seem daunting, especially for a layperson unfamiliar with the law. Accomplishing all of this may also be physically and mentally challenging if you are recovering from your injuries or grieving the loss of a loved one.
Proving Liability
A person is liable (responsible) for your accident if their careless or reckless actions caused your injuries. In a car accident case, the liable party may be another driver, the agency in charge of the roadway, a carmaker, or a parts manufacturer.
To prove your claims, you need to show that another person’s negligence caused your accident. Your lawyer can do this by using evidence such as camera footage, photographs from the scene, statements from witnesses, crash reports, and other records.
Accidents can be complex, and in some cases, there could be more than one cause. If your negligent actions contributed to your accident, you might think you cannot seek compensation. However, in many states, you can still pursue awards, though your amount of fault will lessen any settlement you receive.
How a Lawyer Can Help with Insurance Claims
No, you do not need a lawyer to help you with your insurance claims. You can file your claims without a lawyer’s assistance. However, working with a lawyer could be to your advantage. You should consider getting a lawyer for your car accident when your injuries are severe, and your medical bills are high. A lawyer could help ensure your insurance payout sufficiently compensates you for your injuries and expenses.
Many states follow an at-fault insurance system, which allows you to file claims for your injuries and property damage with the responsible driver’s insurance.
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), in states with at-fault insurance, you also are without restrictions when it comes to pursuing damages through a lawsuit.
You may choose to file suit if your claims are denied, your payout does not fully compensate for your bills, or if an uninsured motorist injured you.
Your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage might pay a portion of your medical costs in no-fault states. If you were severely injured, you could file a lawsuit, but you must meet your state’s criteria. An attorney can guide you through this process.
Call for a Risk-Free Consultation
When deciding when you should get a lawyer for a car accident, you should not be afraid to seek help because of fees. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can take your case on contingency. This means you will not pay us out of your pocket. Our team will take its fees from any settlement we win in your case.
To help you get started, we offer prospective clients a no-cost consultation. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 today to schedule your free case review.