After an accident, victims are left to deal with their injuries, medical bills, insurance claims, and other losses suffered in the accident. It’s recommended that you contact an attorney as soon as possible after the accident. An attorney will represent your best interests and fight for the compensation you deserve. Learn how a legal professional can help with a personal injury or car accident claim and the benefits of having a legal team on your side.
1. Determine Who is Responsible
Determining fault after a car accident or any type of accident is one of the first steps towards recovering compensation. An attorney will be able to determine if the party responsible for causing the accident acted negligently and if their negligent actions resulted in the accident. Some types of accidents, such as a two-car crash, may be easier to determine who was responsible. But oftentimes, accidents are more complex and there may be more than one party that could be held liable for damages. A car accident attorney has the necessary expertise, experience, and resources to properly investigate your case and determine who could be held responsible for your losses.
2. Determine How Much Your Claim is Worth
Just like determining who is responsible for causing your accident, calculating how much compensation you can recover requires legal knowledge. Personal injury victims can recover expenses incurred during the accident such as hospital bills, physical therapy and other medical treatment, prescription drugs, property damages, medical devices that they need to wear, and other economic damages they suffered from the accident. Depending on the case, they may also be able to recover non-economic damages. These damages include psychological pain and suffering, trauma, PTSD, and other non-tangible losses the accident caused. These are more difficult to calculate and require the expertise of an attorney to determine if you have a valid case to claim them. In other cases you could also recover punitive damages, these are determined by a judge and a court and are meant to punish the defendant for their actions.
3. File a Claim On Time
Every state has a time limit set by which you can file a personal injury claim. Calling an attorney as soon as possible after an accident is an important step because the time starts ticking on the date the accident took place. If you miss this deadline and try to pursue a claim after the statute of limitations has passed, a court will dismiss your case and you won’t be able to pursue damages from the at-fault party. Speaking with an attorney will help you file your claim on time and not miss the opportunity to recover compensation.
4. You Can Focus On Your Recovery
After an accident, many people are left with physical and psychological injuries, property damage, and turmoil in their lives. Trying to pursue a personal injury claim on your own and recovering from injuries and other damages can be time-consuming and exhausting. An attorney has the necessary resources to investigate the accident, handle negotiations with insurance companies, and fight on your behalf to achieve the best possible outcome. You can leave all the hard work and negotiations to a lawyer while you focus on recovering, physically, mentally, and financially.