Should I get a lawyer for a car accident that wasn’t my fault, You are not legally required to hire a lawyer when involved in a car accident. However, if you’re looking for someone to handle all the legal pitfalls that may arise, this is when an attorney will come in handy.
You should hire a car accident lawyer for times when you have to negotiate with the insurance company and fight back against the insurance trying to pin the blame on you. Even if you were not hospitalized, you may claim any medical expenses incurred as a result of the accident and get compensation for any emotional distress.
In short, it’s important to have a lawyer if your car accident is in any way complex. These are the types of complex accidents where you should hire a lawyer: The other driver was drunk, on drugs, or distracted by texting/phone use. Injuries involve broken bones or fractures. Your medical bills are more than $5,000.
Although not every car accident will require attorney representation, it is your right to hire an attorney under any circumstances to protect your interests. In most cases, however, it is important to hire an attorney to represent your interests. A car wreck that may require an attorney to become involved includes one that:
An attorney will assist you with all of the stressful, time-consuming issues that arise. For example, your attorney will:
The average person will be in their first accident by the time they are 34 and will experience 3-4 vehicle accidents over the course of their lifetime. For every 1,000 miles you drive, your odds of being in a car wreck are 1 in 366.
If you are at fault for an accident and the other driver decides to sue you, you will need a lawyer to defend you. In this case, it is likely that your auto insurance company will provide a car accident attorney for you, but keep in mind that an insurance company’s lawyer works first in the best interest of the insurer and in your interests secondarily. Even if your insurance company provides a lawyer, you may want to hire your own attorney if you can afford it.
If the following is true of an accident, it is unlikely that the insurance company will lowball you: 1 There was only property damage, and nobody was hurt or killed. 2 You suffered minor or no physical injuries. 3 The settlement you deserve is relatively small.
This is also known as the statutes of limitations. Generally, the statutes of limitations for personal injury cases vary from one state to another. Hence, you should check out your state’s statutes of limitations for personal injury cases so you’ll know when the lawsuit should be filed.
Hence, they’ll not make the settlement process easy for you. Since you’ve been through a lot after the accident, they expect you to accept a lower offer than what you should recover based on the extent of your injuries.
While most cases can be settled through settlement, some lawsuits proceed to trial litigation. When this happens, you should hire a lawyer to navigate the trial correctly. Typically, facing trial litigation comes with specific paperwork and legal procedures.
But, no matter how careful you are in driving, accidents can still happen. Thankfully, even if you’re injured, you can get your life back by fighting for your rights against the at-fault party. You can do this by working closely with a lawyer to get the help that you need.