A car accident can happen any day and at any time. Whether you are on your way to work or heading out on a road trip, traffic accidents can occur and leave you with injuries and losses that may never heal completely. When this happens, it’s important for you to contact an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible so he or she can start handling the complicated legal aspects of your case immediately.
Your symptoms may improve in a few days or weeks after an accident but if there is more than just the physical damages done to you, you will need time to recuperate – both physically and emotionally – from what happened. With this in mind, one of the main reasons why you should hire a st petersburg fl car accident lawyer as soon as possible is to ensure that important evidence of the accident would still be available.
You see, some people tend to be paranoid about hiring an attorney after a car accident because they believe it will make them look guilty during the investigation. The reality is the opposite – by hiring a car accident lawyer immediately, you are actually helping yourself prove your innocence from another angle. Once a personal injury attorney takes over your case, he or she becomes privy to the legal procedures and protocols used during investigations which means there’s less chance of missing critical information that can help prove your innocence if ever this would go beyond the insurance claim.
Another reason why you should hire a car accident lawyer as soon as possible relates to the insurance company. Since you will need time to recuperate from your injuries (both physical and mental), it only makes sense that you won’t be able to focus on anything else but your personal case. If someone from the insurance company calls with an offer for settlement, tell them they can contact your attorney instead so he or she may handle any legal matter on your behalf.
When You Should Not Hire An Attorney After A Car Accident:
Never hire a car accident lawyer if: 1) you are simply looking for financial compensation, 2) if you’re not sure of what actually happened during the accident, 3) you think you don’t have enough evidence proving that you were indeed injured as a result of the accident, or 4) if you are offered a settlement that is greater than what you think your car accident lawsuit would be worth.
If you’re thinking of hiring an attorney after a car accident because someone else was at fault, it’s important to note that all personal injury attorneys have their own set fee for handling cases – usually coming from contingency fees where they will receive a certain percentage only if they win the case for you. If all you need is compensation and not enough proof that it was indeed another party who caused your injuries, then considering legal help may not be necessary.
How Long Will It Take To Get A Settlement After An Accident?
The amount of time it takes a settlement to come through depends on the claims of each case. Legal matters can take some time to settle but that doesn’t mean you should wait for too long before filing your claim against the insurance company. Start by hiring a car accident lawyer who will act on your behalf so he or she can help you get started with the settlement process immediately.
When Can I Get Compensation After A Car Accident?
If ever an insurance company comes with an offer for settlement, remember not to accept it without consulting your attorney first. There are cases wherein an offer is only made because the other party thinks you’re already tired of all of these and they’re hoping that’s enough for you to give in even if it isn’t near what your lawsuit would be worth (which means more compensation for you).
Remember that the insurance company has its own rules and regulations when it comes to settling legal matters so it’s best to have your personal injury attorney assess first if something feels off about the offer.
What If I Don’t Have Insurance?
If you don’t have any insurance, then the other party’s insurance will be responsible for compensating you – or at least that is what you should remind them of during negotiations. However, if they’re only willing to compensate just a portion of your expenses due to lack of coverage on your part, then don’t hesitate to seek help from a car accident lawyer who can help protect your rights as well as make sure no loopholes are there for this case to go wrong.
When Should I Contact My Insurance Company?
If you’ve only been involved in an accident and the damage on your part is not really that severe, then go ahead and call your insurance company. They will send someone to assess the damages and make a settlement offer based on what they think it would cost for repairs or replacements. Again, this should be evaluated by your personal injury attorney first who can check if something doesn’t feel right about their assessment.
They might ask you to give a recorded statement but it’s important that everything is written down before signing anything since insurance companies these days would do just about anything to benefit themselves instead of compensating the real victim here – which in this case, is you.
Remember: not all police officers are genuinely looking out for your best interest so always bring with you an accident report prepared by your own attorney to make sure no loopholes are present. This way, it’s easier for you to prove that the accident was caused by another party and not yourself – which is just one of the ways lawyers can help you out.
When Should I Not Use A Car Accident Lawyer?
If ever the insurance company presents a settlement amount that’s already satisfied with what you need, then it might be time to consider hiring a lawyer (if you haven’t done so already). However, if their offer is only half of what it should be based on estimates presented by your own personal injury attorney, then they shouldn’t hesitate to ask for more compensation via trial proceedings. Again, a st petersburg car accident lawyer will help you out with this so it’s best to leave this situation to them.
When is the right time to hire a car accident lawyer?
There are instances wherein using a car accident lawyer may not be necessary since your case might just need a little more verification before filing with the insurance company as well as the court of law. However, if you’re already certain that these matters can no longer be settled on your own without someone with expertise in dealing with personal injury claims helping you out – then by all means, hire a car accident attorney and see what It generally takes a couple of months before a settlement is processed but it would still depend on each individual claim – meaning there are some they can do for you.