Accidents happen, especially on the road. Some are more severe than others. Some leave you with more than just a busted car.
How can you know when an accident is bad enough to get an attorney involved?
If you’ve been in an accident and you are wondering whether you should hire a lawyer, chances are you should. But let’s not leave it at that.
Here are the five main instances when you should hire a lawyer after a car accident:
1. Someone Suffered Severe Physical Harm
The worst result that could come from a car accident is bodily harm or even death.
If your car accident resulted in you or one of your passengers receiving some bodily harm, the safe bet is to go see a lawyer right away.
Many times drivers can suffer harm that results in piles of medical bills, mental anguish, and even a disability that renders them unable to work.
Sadly, they are rarely fully compensated for these if they face the claim alone.
A good attorney will ensure that you receive the best compensation for your injuries.
2. The Other Driver Has No Insurance
Unfortunately, there are plenty of drivers on the road that have failed to properly insure themselves. Either they aren’t covered at all or missed an insurance payment and have a lapse in coverage.
This lands you in a tough predicament. Your insurance will only cover so much. The rest is up to you to fight for.
This can be hard to do on your own. Personal injury law is a tricky sea to navigate. A good lawyer who has handled and won many cases knows exactly what moves to make when.
An uninsured motorist is still responsible for the damage they inflicted during the accident. Learn how to handle an accident with an uninsured motorist here.
3. The Accident Resulted in Property Damage
Even if you received no injuries from the accident if your car received damages you could still benefit from a personal injury lawyer.
You rely on your car to make it to work. You used your hard-earned money to pay for the car. Why should you endure the loss of personal property without some compensation?
The short answer is; you shouldn’t. A lawyer on your side can negotiate to have your car damages paid for or even get you a new car if yours is beyond repair.
4. You Lost Wages Due to the Accident
One often neglected damage that is rarely replaced due to a car accident is the wages lost due to the accident.
Whether it be the day or two after the accident to repair your car or see a doctor, or weeks later recovering from injuries, you weren’t at work.
At best, your boss is understanding and allowed you to have the time but it’s doubtful that they paid you while you were gone. At worst, you may have lost your job.
If you are an Uber or Lyft driver, your car is your money maker. Every day that it sits in the mechanic shop is another day you can’t make money.
Rideshare accidents are complicated but you can learn how to protect yourself here.
5. The Fault of the Accident
Many times, determining the at-fault driver is tricky. Rarely are you ever fully devoid of any fault, but when you are in an accident that is not your fault, you may need a lawyer to help prove that.
This is especially true if any of the above four instances are relevant because if you are not relinquished from holding fault, you may be liable to pay damages to the other driver.
Three Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer for Your Car Accident
You may be hesitant to hire a lawyer for your case, thinking that you may end up in a worse situation than you are now. Let’s put those fears to rest.
There are three ways that hiring a lawyer will provide you with benefits:
- Most injury lawyers will not expect payment unless they win your case. Even if they do win, the most popular way to determine payment is to receive a percentage of your negotiated compensation so you never pay out of pocket.
- Lawyers have studied the law and many have had many chances to learn the ins and outs of these types of cases. When it comes to knowledge, theirs nothing that replaces experience.
- Even if you consider your case to be a clear-cut win for you, you’ll be facing insurance companies with millions of dollars at their disposal. You can be sure that they will be represented by an attorney.
Conclusion
It’s safe to say that contacting a lawyer when you’ve been in an accident is never a bad idea. If you had a fender bender and little harm came of it, then, by all means, exchange insurance and be on your way.
If your accident involved any complications above that, you would be wise to involve your attorney.
