If you have been in any kind of motor vehicle accident, you have a lot of things you need to do. First, you need to get treatment for any injury you may have sustained in the accident. After that, many people think the next thing they need to do is call their insurance carrier. While on the surface that makes a great deal of sense. If you have a good policy and have been with your insurance carrier for a long time, you may expect them to treat you well. That is not always the case.
That is where good personal injury lawyers come in. When you have been hurt in an accident, there is a lot more going on than fixing the parts that were broken. There are often other things that need to be taken into account. You may have to take time off from work and will need money to cover your expenses. There are the pain and suffering you have to deal with. There may also be psychological trauma. No one needs to be taken advantage of by an insurance company at any point in their lives, and this could not be truer when people are at a vulnerable spot. Here are some reasons to call an attorney after an accident:
- You will have a professional on your side. You may have been buddy-buddy with your insurance company before the accident. This may have been a good relationship for years but they are not your friend. The main business model for all insurance companies is to take in as much as possible from their clients and then pay out as little as possible when the time comes. This is just as true when it comes to your insurance company who holds your home insurance policy as your car policy. They will find any way to get out of paying you to repair your car, for instance. They will find any reason they can to deny or claim or not believe your side of things. Your personal injury attorney has one job, to represent you and your interests. No forms should be signed until that person has read them. They will work with your insurance company and make sure you get what you deserve in this situation.
- Your attorney has more experience with this. Experience is gained when a person goes through a situation over and over again. Like the people at Farmer’s Insurance, accident lawyers “know a lot because they have seen a lot.” Your lawyer knows what they are doing, they have studied the law dealing with these issues and has experience dealing with insurance companies. Unless you have been in a lot of accidents, which most people have not, you do not have the same level of experience or expertise.
- Your lawyer knows what to do. There are things they can help you with such as:
- Making statements to law enforcement.
- Getting the right evidence and witness statements. They can also work on getting pictures and videos from the scene.
- They can work better with your insurance carrier. They know what services you need and can get. They know how to negotiate with your insurance carrier and the company that covers the other driver.
- The process will be faster when you have a lawyer. If you have been in a car accident and have an injury to deal with, you do not have the time or energy to deal with all of the large and minute details of getting the right settlement from your insurance company. You need to rest and focus on recovering. Having a good lawyer by your side can get things more quickly. This includes:
- Getting your car repaired.
- Getting payments for your medical treatments.
- Making other arrangements as needed (these include funeral services if that is needed).
It may help to note that insurance companies are not inherently bad or evil, it is just not their job to pay you as much as they should or to process your claims quickly. It is their job to take as much from you and to maximize their profits. Having a good personal injury lawyer on your side will make your experience better and easier.
