Finding the right attorney help is essential to your personal injury claim. If you or a loved one were injured due to someone else’s negligence, an auto accident attorney can help you get fair compensation for your damages.
While some people assume they can file their own claim, personal injury law is complex. It is important to remember that you are up against big insurance companies that will do everything they can to deny your claim or give a lowball offer.
Getting attorney help is easy. In fact, you can get a free consultation for your case today.
An auto accident attorney has valuable experience:
Each case is unique, so your lawyer will guide you every step of the way. In general, you can expect your auto accident attorney to do the following:
An auto accident attorney can assist you in obtaining medical care without any out-of-pocket expenses. Often, personal injury victims delay necessary medical treatment due to concerns about the financial burden.
However, many medical providers are willing to treat you on a deferred payment agreement basis, which means payment for medical services does not come out of your pocket upfront. Instead, your medical bills will be settled from your eventual settlement or court verdict.
Your attorney will work directly with these healthcare providers to ensure you receive the medical attention you need without immediate financial pressure. This arrangement allows you to focus on your recovery while your attorney handles the complex negotiations and payments on your behalf.
From the start, your attorney will establish consistent communication and a good relationship with the insurance adjuster. An insurance adjuster is the person who determines what your claim is worth, so establishing and maintaining good contact with them is critical.
An auto accident attorney has years of experience dealing with insurance adjusters. When you are recovering from a car crash and dealing with the damages, the last thing you want to do is plead your case to an adjuster. A skilled lawyer will help by handling communication so you can focus on your recovery.
Proving liability is one of the most important parts of your case. A knowledgeable auto accident attorney helps gather all the evidence necessary to prove liability for your claim. While you have likely already taken photos and filed a police report, there can be many additional steps to proving fault.
Your attorney will gather police or accident reports from your crash and talk to witnesses and investigating officers. These tasks can be tedious and frustrating for crash victims dealing with injuries, damaged property, and lost wages. With an auto accident attorney at your side, you can reserve your energy for your recovery.
In addition to gathering evidence of liability, your lawyer will work to determine the extent of your personal injury damages. This is just one more aspect of a personal injury case that is both challenging and essential. Your attorney will collect all the necessary bills and records from your healthcare providers. Even though your medical records are yours, obtaining them is not always as easy as it sounds.
Often, there are specific requirements for obtaining medical records. Your auto accident attorney knows the drill when gathering documentation, and they can avoid time-consuming back-and-forth exchanges.
To pursue a personal injury claim, you must prove through medical evidence:
Your attorney will make sure your records show the details necessary to your case. If the records are incomplete or unclear, your lawyer will continue contacting your doctor until they get the needed documentation and information.
Once all the necessary evidence and documentation are gathered, your attorney will proceed to write a demand letter. This is a crucial document outlining the facts of the accident, the nature of your injuries, the medical treatment you have undergone, and the expenses accrued as a result of the accident.
The demand letter is a formal request for compensation, backed by clear and compelling evidence, and sent to the liable party’s insurance company. It is a critical part of the negotiation process, designed to convince the other side of the severity and legitimacy of your claim. It’s at this stage that the expert negotiation skills of your auto accident attorney will come into play, aiming to secure the highest possible settlement for your damages.
An experienced auto accident attorney understands the tactics used by insurance companies to minimize payouts. These may include contesting your version of events, questioning the severity of your injuries, arguing your injuries are pre-existing, or highlighting inconsistencies in your story.
Your attorney, armed with solid evidence and a clear understanding of the law, will counter these tactics effectively, ensuring that your rights are protected. They will negotiate tenaciously on your behalf, striving to reach an agreement that fully compensates you for your property damage, injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and any other losses you have incurred due to the accident. If negotiations fail, your attorney will be prepared to take the case to court, presenting a compelling case to the judge or jury for the full value of your claim.
Medical bills can quickly add up after an auto accident, leading to significant financial strain. However, an experienced auto accident attorney can negotiate your medical bills to reduce the amount you owe. This often involves working directly with healthcare providers and insurance companies to reach an agreement on payment terms that are fair and manageable.
Your attorney will review all medical billing statements to ensure they are accurate and reflect the services provided. If there are discrepancies or unnecessary charges, they will challenge them on your behalf. Additionally, healthcare providers may be willing to accept a lower payment amount if they know the bill is related to a personal injury case and that settlement funds are pending.
In some cases, your attorney may also work to negotiate a delay in payment until after your case is settled. This way, you are not pressured to pay large sums out of pocket before receiving compensation. By effectively negotiating your medical bills, your attorney helps alleviate some of the financial burden, ensuring you can focus on your recovery while your legal case progresses.
Negotiating with lien holders is another critical role that your auto accident attorney helps with. If there is a lien on your personal injury settlement, it means someone has a legal right to be paid from your compensation. These lien holders could be your health insurer, medical providers, a hospital, or even a government agency that provides benefits.
Negotiating these liens is a complex process, requiring an in-depth understanding of the legal landscape. Your attorney’s expertise becomes invaluable here. They will negotiate with these lien holders to reduce the amount of your liens, ensuring you receive a fair portion of the settlement. This process can significantly increase the net amount of your personal injury settlement, providing much-needed financial relief after a stressful auto accident.
If negotiations with the insurance company do not result in a satisfactory settlement, your auto accident attorney helps take your case to court. This involves initiating the litigation process, which can be complex and time-consuming. The first step in this process is filing a lawsuit, followed by a series of procedures designed to prepare both sides for trial.
One of the critical stages is discovery, where both parties exchange information and evidence pertinent to the case. This can include written questions (interrogatories), requests for documents, and depositions. Depositions involve taking sworn, out-of-court oral testimony from witnesses and involved parties, which is transcribed for later use at trial. This process helps both sides gather the necessary facts to build their cases.
During litigation, pre-trial mediation may be suggested or required. Mediation involves a neutral third party who facilitates discussions between the disputing parties to reach a mutually agreeable solution without going to trial. While mediation can often lead to a settlement, it is non-binding, meaning the parties are not obligated to agree if they are not satisfied with the terms.
To strengthen your case, your attorney may also engage the services of accident reconstruction experts. These professionals can recreate the accident scene based on available data, offering detailed explanations and visualizations to demonstrate how the crash occurred. Their testimony can be crucial in proving liability and supporting your claim.
Throughout the litigation process, your attorney will craft and present compelling arguments, backed by solid and meticulously gathered evidence. They will question witnesses, cross-examine the defendant’s witnesses, and refute any assertions made by the opposition. Ultimately, if negotiations and alternative dispute resolution methods fail, a trial will allow both sides to present their cases before a judge or jury, who will then determine the outcome and award the final verdict. Your attorney helps in preparing and presenting your case in court, which is vital to ensure you receive fair and just compensation for your injuries and losses.
If another driver’s negligence caused your injuries, Thompson Law can help. Our auto accident attorneys will work toward a fair settlement that compensates for damages like medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Call us at (844) 308-8180 today for a free consultation. There’s no fee unless we win.
If you enjoyed this article about attorney help after a car accident, you might also like:
Thompson Law receives an attorney fee and you pay no legal fees as our client unless we pay you. Thompson Law has 350 years of combined experience in legal representation and has won over $1.8 billion dollars in cash settlements for our clients. We master the art of managing client cases with empathy, compassion, respect and, of course, prodigious skill. Contact us today for a free, risk-free consultation to discuss your accident and your options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an auto accident. If you have been injured in an accident, call now to get the help you need.
