If I am injured in a car accident do I need a Personal Injury Attorney? This is an extremely important question, especially in California where driving is a part of life. A car accident is a risk we gamble with every day when we share the streets and the highways with over 25 million other drivers who are currently licensed in the Golden State. In fact, the Accident Data Center states that car accidents in Sacramento County are major cause of property damage, injuries, and death each year. If you were injured in a car accident caused by someone else, then knowing your available options is valuable information, and empowers you to decide how to best move forward after an extremely traumatic experience. So if you were injured in a car accident, how do you know if you need an attorney?
The Short Answer
Anyone who is injured as a result of another party’s negligence (mistake) is entitled to be made whole (be compensated). In other words, if the person that caused the accident is at-fault for harm, injuries, or property damage against the victim, then the law can be used to place the victim into a quality of life similar to the one they would have had prior to the car accident.
As we all know, however, the law is not always so simple and there are many different circumstances and competing interests that come into play when you’re injured in an accident. Consulting an experienced personal injury attorney is the best way to make sure that you receive quality legal advice to understand your rights if you have been injured in a car accident or as a result of another person’s negligence.
Knowing your Options: Dealing with the Trauma, Aftermath, and Legalities of a Car Accident
A major car accident is one of our worst nightmares, and can instantly create endless hours of stress and uncertainty. Enduring painful bodily injuries, communicating with unresponsive insurance companies, grappling with negligent drivers trying to avoid responsibility, and dealing with doctors and expensive hospital bills– not to mention the damages caused to your vehicle – the list seems endless and overwhelming.
If you have ever been in even a minor car accident and no one was injured, it is likely you went through the standard insurance claim process, and didn’t deal with an attorney. If you are asking yourself if you should hire an attorney, then it is likely there was a serious injury or major property damage. It is important to evaluate the severity of your injuries and damages. Taking legal action may be unfamiliar territory, but it can put you at a significant advantage to ensure your quality of life isn’t devalued.
Going through the standard insurance procedures could mean you might not recover all the money needed for medical bills and additional damages and expenses. Insurance companies will typically try to settle a car accident claim early to avoid additional expenses. Sometimes an agreeable settlement cannot be reached and you are left unsatisfied with the insurance payout. This can be extremely stressful if you have been seriously injured.
Consulting an experienced professional means having a qualified advocate in your corner, who represents your rights and best interests, and handles all the difficult details so you can focus on what’s important: you and your family’s health and well-being.
Here are some steps you can take to determine if you need to hire a personal injury attorney:
Step 1: Evaluate your situation, injuries and damages
If the accident you were in caused you serious injury, property damage, or the death of a family member, you should strongly consider hiring a personal injury attorney. Serious bodily injury, major property damage, or death means you were likely in a very traumatic accident, and many complicated legal questions will arise. A personal injury attorney will be able to help calculate the amount of damages you may be entitled to when it is beyond the scope of an insurance company.
If there were multiple parties involved in the accident can create complicated legal problems, which may require hiring an attorney. When multiple parties are involved, it is difficult to figure out who is at fault and an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you navigate the treacherous legal waters and also deal with the other parties’ attorneys and insurance companies.
If the at fault party is uninsured, then it would be beneficial to consult a personal injury attorney. A personal injury lawyer can help you determine your best options when the other party has broken the law by driving without insurance.
Step 2: Make sure you document as much as possible
If you have ever dealt with an insurance company on your own, you know that the available evidence usually determines the outcome. Every piece of available information is critical to helping your attorneys understand your case, so they can advocate effectively on your behalf. So even if the accident was not your fault, compiling and documenting as much evidence as possible is essential to helping you and your personal injury attorney work towards a successful outcome.
Take pictures, get as much information as possible from the other driver, keep medical bills, property damage inventory, and total up any missed time from work. Newer vehicles may contain a black box, which keeps track of the cars mileage and speed, and usually an attorney will be needed to access this information. In addition, be sure to make copies of all documents related to the accident. Having as much information as possible will be very important help your attorney determine how much harm you have suffered, and how much compensation you may be entitled to.
Step 3: Consult an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Some may choose to settle things through an insurance claim, or a lawsuit, or even both. Regardless of which avenue you decide to take, consulting an attorney when you are the victim of a car accident gives you a competitive advantage from the start.
Having an experienced personal injury lawyer advocating on your behalf gives you much more power when negotiating and outcome that has your best interests in mind. A personal injury attorney can give you an accurate estimate of what your case might be worth, and has the skills and experience to ensure you recover the maximum amount available under the law. An attorney is able to give you valuable advice about if you should file an insurance claim or pursue legal action.
Step 4: Decide if hiring a lawyer is needed to make your situation right
Now you have taken action by evaluating the severity of your situation, collecting as much evidence as possible and consulting with an experienced attorney. These are the first proactive steps you should take in dealing with the trauma, aftermath, and legalities of a car accident. If you have been injured in a car accident, and are wondering if you need to hire an attorney, then knowledge is power. Knowing your options will provide you with a significant advantage moving forward. Eason and Tambornini, A Law Corporation, has established itself as one of Northern California’s top personal injury law firms, and is ready and willing to represent your best interests and fight for your best outcome.
http://accidentdatacenter.com/us/california/sacramento-stockton-modesto-ca/sacramento-county-ca
