If you find yourself in a minor auto accident, most likely you will not need an attorney. A minor accident is the one when two vehicles collide into each other in a parking lot at very low speeds. You will find that the damage is very negligible in these cases. Sometimes there is no damage, and no one is injured. In such cases, you can go directly to your insurance company and choose not to get an attorney. Nevertheless, there are times when vehicle accident victims need the help of an attorney.
Serious Injuries – You need to get an attorney if you experience a serious injury. Car injuries can include broken bones, internal injuries, spinal-cord injuries, or long-term hospitalization and medical treatments for injuries that are permanent.
Death – Always seek an attorney’s advice immediately when a car accident results in death.
Fault – When fault in an accident becomes a clear issue, you need to get a piece of legal advice from an attorney.
Construction Zone – Accidents that happen in a construction area can be fatal. They can involve violations by the driver and can include hitting a construction worker. Heavy penalties and fines are measured out for accidents in construction areas.
Police Report – Inaccurate police report can have a long-lasting effect on your case. You need an attorney if the report is inaccurate and unfairly puts the blame on you.
Additional Parties – You will need an attorney to help you if other parties are involved like pedestrians and other automobiles.
Call an Experienced Attorney– You need to pick up your phone and secure an attorney for your case if anyone else in your case hires an attorney.
Insurance Issues – A law firm can help you when an auto involved in the accident does not have insurance.
Other times when a lawyer should be considered
Also, you need the advice of a personal injury attorney if you’re:
- Not sure of your rights
- Confused about your insurance policy
- Not sure if your insurer is acting in good faith
- Stuck in negotiations with your insurer
- Who caused the accident is in dispute
Always a car accident has to be filed whether or not you are working with a personal-injury attorney. A car accident case involves police reports, lawyers, witnesses, insurance companies, etc.
What You Should Do When Making Car Insurance Claims
A single automobile accident can cause suffering and pain, medical bills, loss of work and other damages. You can have a long-lasting impact on your claim if you wrongly approach your accident case.
You can protect yourself following an accident by:
- Immediately calling your insurance agent
- Reviewing your current policy and understanding your coverages
- Taking photos of the accident scene, injuries, and damages
- Documenting expenses incurred because of the accident like medical bills, car repairs, etc.
- Being honest all the time.
If you use these tips well, you will prepare your auto accident lawyer well in handling your case.
What You Should Not Do When Making a Claim
People run to make claims after being involved in a car accident. If they go about it the wrong way, they sometimes make horrible mistakes that affect some potential settlements. The following are some things that you should know before filing an accident claim:
- Until you clearly understand your policy, don’t write or record a statement to your insurer.
- Always take enough time to analyze the appraisal and estimate before accepting an estimate or appraisal.
- Don’t agree to a payment marked as final. If you do settle and sign, you cannot pursue further damages if it becomes necessary for more compensation.
- You must seek legal advice if you are an accident victim and someone asks you to sign a waiver.
- Never agree to anything you reckon is unfair. Insurance company always need to pay the least amount of settlement they can get.
Even if you make such given mistakes, you can pick up your phone and call an auto accident attorney and discuss the options you have. Most of the attorneys provide free consultation services that they use to determine whether you have a case.
A lot of attorneys provide a free consultation for your case. The consultation is used to determine if you have a case. You have nothing to lose if most of the attorneys offer free consultation services.
