Imagine that you were in a car accident, and want to file a lawsuit. But before doing so, you need to ask yourself if you wish to hire an accident lawyer. Or better – not if, but when do you need to do it. Finding one is not hard. Just search ‘auto accident lawyer Las Vegas’ or whatever city you live in Google. You will probably see hundreds if not thousands of options.
Hiring a car accident lawyer makes going through the whole legal process a lot easier, as they are the ones taking care of it. Remember, you need to hire an accident lawyer when…
The Accident Caused Serious Injury or Death
If someone was severely injured or killed during the accident, you have to contact an experienced lawyer right away, as those kinds of car fatalities can lead to completed lawsuits. Furthermore, you might need to file a lawsuit against the guilty driver to regain the money that you spend on medical bills.
It would be best if you didn’t represent yourself in cases of severe car accidents. They usually include complex issues that only a professional can deal with. Also, a lawyer can help you in calculating the amount of money you can get or can guide through the legal process.
Your Injuries Stop You From Working
If during the accident you got injured so severely that it stops you from working, you should hire a lawyer. They can help you in maximizing the amount of compensation that you receive, which will be based on the work you missed and the medical treatment that you might need now or in the future. Some people get hurt so badly that they are unable to work for the rest of their life.
Multiple Parties Were Involved In The Accident
If the accident you were in involved three or more vehicles, it can complicate the insurance claim settlement and lead to multiple, complicated lawsuits. Some accidents involve property owners, pedestrians or commercial entities. A lawyer will help you in communicating with the attorneys for the other parties and their insurance companies.
You Need To Collect Evidence
You might need to hire a lawyer when you need to collect evidence, that helps in establishing whose fault it was, and what are your injuries worth. For example, a lot of newer cars has the so-called ‘black cox’ which records information that is critical in case of a car accident. The data from it can help to determine how fast the driver was going when the accident happened, and whether they were wearing a seatbelt.
However, to get to the recording from the other car, you might need a court order, which is something that a lawyer can help you get as part of a lawsuit.
Time Has Passed Since The Accident
If you want to file a lawsuit, you have to do it before the deadline, which is two years from the accident. You should hire a car accident lawyer if your accident happened some time ago so that they can tell you if it’s not too late.
Furthermore, once you file the lawsuit, a lawyer will help you in keeping all the future deadlines, especially since a lot of insurance companies are waiting for you to exceed the deadline so that they can deny the claim.
You Have Upcoming Settlement Talks
In most cases, the lawsuit is settled before going to trial, which means that the at-fault driver or their insurance will give a settlement offer. Usually, it’s a lot lower than what you can get if the case ends in court. You should only accept the offer if the amount is reasonably based on damages and your injuries. An experienced accident lawyer should be able to negotiate a higher settlement than you would on your own.
Conclusion
As you can see, if you were in a car accident that left you severely injured, you should hire a car accident attorney as soon as possible. Another thing is that if you want to take care of the legal process on your own but have some doubts, you can schedule a free consultation so that a lawyer can clear out any confusion you might be experiencing.