How Hiring A Lawyer Can Help You After A Car Accident

21 January 2021
 Categories: Law, Blog


If you have been involved in a car accident, you need to deal with a lot of things, some of which are challenging if you are not familiar with the process. Hiring a car accident lawyer to help you navigate the system and take care of all of those things can make things much easier, and often getting a lawyer involved will speed up the process.

Determining Fault

In most states, the police department investigating the accident scene will determine which party caused the accident or if there is a joint responsibility for the accident. If you feel the determination is incorrect, the car accident lawyer you are working with can help. 

Getting an investigator involved and interviewing the police and witnesses to the accident, the lawyer will try and prove that you are not at fault for the accident. In some cases, being even partially responsible for the accident can mean a reduction in insurance coverage or could mean you have to pay for the other party's expenses. Your car accident lawyer will fight that and try to prove that you are the accident victim and not the one that caused it. 

Negotiating Insurance Payments

If the police determine that you are not at fault, you may be entitled to payments from the other driver's insurance company. If you are having difficulties getting the insurance company to make those payments or if they will not settle on and amount they are willing to pay you, getting a car accident attorney involved is an excellent way to speed the process along. 

Often once a lawyer gets involved, the insurance company will stop fighting, and both parties can reach a settlement they can live with. If the lawyer thinks the insurance company is offering less than they should, they may suggest you decline the offer and let them negotiate with the company to try and increase the award for you. 

Often the negotiation comes down to the lawyers meeting to discuss the situation and coming up with an amount of money that seems fair to both parties. The figure may be significantly higher than the first number you were given but remember that the lawyer will get a percentage as well. 

Court Litigation

If the lawyers cannot settle, your car accident attorney may suggest taking the case to the courts and letting a judge decide the issue. If this happens, you will need your lawyer to represent you during the case and handle the legal filings. 

Once the case is settled, the lawyer will get paid from the award, and then you will get the rest in a settlement or payments over time. The judge will determine how the award is paid, and your lawyer can file a request for a bulk payment if you feel you need to. 

Reach out to a local car accident lawyer to learn more about your case.


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