When people are hurt in a car accident, their first thoughts are not typically to call an automobile accident lawyer.There are several different points during the recovery process which may trigger one to consider whether or not they should contact an attorney. Injured victims may choose to hire a lawyer to represent them and their interests at any time, but the best time would be right up front, immediately following the crash. There are many reasons for this. The first of which is that the fee that you pay your attorney will likely be the same whether you hire him or her upfront, or down the road when you hit a snag. The second reason is that you don’t know what you don’t know and you could mess something up. There are many important steps to cover during the initial phases of an injury claim. If you do something wrong, you could end up costing yourself a substantial sum of money. It is not worth the risk. The third reason is that there is no need for you to deal with the headache. Your primary concern after an accident should be to get better.You want to have your body, your mind, and your property restored to the condition that they were in prior to the crash. Dealing with the at-fault driver and the various insurance companies can be a huge headache. Why not turn it over to a professional who handles similar cases every day during the early stages? Contacting an attorney before anything else is done can save you an enormous amount of worry, stress, and money. Giving a car crash lawyer a call should probably be the very first thing you do once you have arrived home safely after the accident.If you contact a lawyer early enough, he or she may be able to help you with your property damage claim as well. It really depends on the attorney. If they do handle that portion of your claim, it will likely not be at an additional charge to you. That serves as even more incentive to meet with an attorney sooner, rather than later. Some people choose to handle the property damage and even contact the liability carrier about a bodily injury claim on their own, once the at-fault party’s insurance company starts denying things. People get worried, they then may reach out to lawyers to help finish off the process. That can work. An attorney will still be able to help you resolve your claim if you contact him or her late in the game. The only problem is that you may end up waiting even longer to receive a settlement or court award because your lawyer will have many things that they will need to do before they can submit a demand.
The other downfall to contacting a lawyer late in the game is that the paper trail may already be lost. A good personal injury lawyer will want absolutely everything documented from the time of the crash to the completion of treatment. Once you get behind, it can be difficult to catch up. Lastly, another problem that can be created by waiting on the lawyer is that you may say something to the insurance adjuster that will greatly jeopardize your ability to win your case. They are recording absolutely everything you say and they will use anything they can to get out of paying you for the damages that their insured driver caused. Play it safe, call a car accident attorney today.
Photo by Cogan & Power P.C.
This article is offered only for general information and educational purposes. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion. You should not act or rely on any information contained in this article without first seeking the advice of an attorney.
