Many car accident victims think they should only hire a car accident lawyer in an act of desperation. However, you can benefit immensely from an auto accident attorney in many situations described below.
Next, consult a Spring Valley Car Accident attorney in your area to determine if you have a viable case.
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Types Of Auto Accidents That May Require An Attorney’s Help
All car accidents can potentially cause severe injury or death. If you are in a serious accident of any of the following types, speak to a car accident attorney promptly:
Rear-End Crash
Rear-end crashes comprise most auto accidents in the US. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently found that they cause 29 percent of serious or fatal injuries.
In a recent year, rear-end crashes caused 2,428 deaths.
Liability for rear-end crashes usually falls on the rear driver. Even a low-speed rear-end collision can cause serious injuries, so you should hire a personal injury attorney.
Head-On Crash
A head-on crash can cause devastating or fatal injuries. Many head-on crashes happen because of a wrong-way driver or someone leaving their traffic lane. Head-on crashes led to 3,630 fatalities in 2020.
These crashes are less common but almost always lead to severe injury or death. Immediately retain a car accident attorney after a head-on crash to obtain compensation for your injuries and other losses.
Sideswipe Crash
A sideswipe crash usually happens when a car next to you or coming in the opposite direction glances off the side of your vehicle. You can quickly lose control and crash after the initial impact. Sideswipe accidents also can cause serious injuries when one of the vehicles is a motorcycle.
T-Bone Crash
A t-bone crash is often dangerous because one vehicle hits the other in the side with minimal driver or passenger protection. Many T-bone crashes happen in intersections where one driver runs a red light or stop sign.
Your auto accident attorney will review traffic surveillance footage, if available, to determine who had the right of way.
Rollover Crash
Any motor vehicle can roll, but SUVs’ size and height make them more likely to roll over. Rollover risk may rise in bad weather and at higher speeds. Drivers may also make turns too fast, causing a rollover.
Recent records from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that 7,182 drivers were killed in rollover accidents.
Multi-Vehicle Crashes
A multiple-vehicle crash involves three or more vehicles. It can happen in many ways, but a common scenario is a rear-end accident in which one car pushes another into another vehicle in a chain reaction. You need a skilled car accident attorney to determine fault.
Single-Vehicle Crash
Many single-vehicle accidents are caused by the driver. However, another driver can cause a single-vehicle accident. For example, if a drunk driver almost hits you and you swerve and crash, you can hold the other driver liable.
Any accidents above can lead to severe injuries and damages, so a car accident attorney should review your case to determine if you have a strong case to blame another driver.
When to Hire an Auto Accident Attorney
There are many accident scenarios where you will benefit from hiring a personal injury attorney.
Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, so you will only pay them if you get a settlement or favorable jury verdict. Then, you will pay them a percentage of your compensation. There are no negatives to hiring a car accident attorney, and there are many situations when you should hire a lawyer:
You Have A Serious Injury
The best time to retain an auto accident lawyer is before you file the claim, especially after a severe accident and injury.
A severe injury may require hospitalization, surgery, and a long recovery. Typical examples are brain injuries, spinal cord damage, burns, internal organ damage, broken bones, and amputations.
People with severe injuries will have large amounts of medical bills, future medical needs, lost current and future income, and substantial pain and suffering.
However, you also may be better off hiring an attorney even for minor injuries, such as whiplash. Your attorney will help collect critical evidence to prove fault, such as surveillance video, witness statements, and physical evidence at the scene.
Your attorney also will help determine the full extent of your losses after a serious accident, including current and future medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
Your losses after a serious accident may be much more than you think, and your attorney will ensure that your claim is fully valued. Your serious injury can require months or years of medical care, and you want an experienced attorney to ensure you are fairly compensated.
When Liability Is In Dispute
The insurance company will attempt to deny liability if it can. They may blame you or another driver when their client is responsible. You should not try to settle your claim without an attorney when liability isn’t clear. Your attorney will collect evidence to prove liability.
They also will attempt to prove the four elements of negligence involving the at-fault driver:
- The driver had a duty of care to you, such as driving safely and obeying the law.
- The driver violated their duty of care by, for example, running a red light.
- You suffered injuries from the crash, such as a broken arm and hip.
- You have financial damages, such as $25,000 in medical bills.
Talk to a car accident attorney before you speak to the other driver’s insurance company, especially if they contest liability. You will not resolve this claim successfully without legal assistance. Your attorney knows every game the insurance company can play. They can present the strongest evidence that their client caused the accident.
The Statute Of Limitations Is Almost Expired
Every state has a statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim. Many states have a statute of limitations only two years from the date of injury. Hire an attorney immediately after an accident.
The longer you wait to hire a lawyer, the more challenging you make the case. Have a car accident attorney review your case well before the statute of limitations expires. If you wait until weeks before the statute of limitations expires, many excellent auto accident attorneys won’t take the case. Building a robust case takes time.
You Cannot Work
You probably have a severe car accident injury if you cannot work for weeks or months. You should not pay out of pocket or lose work time if another driver caused your auto accident. There can be a long-term or permanent injury that may prevent you from working.
If so, you should receive compensation for lost earning capacity. Only an experienced attorney and the experts they hire can obtain fair compensation if you cannot earn a living. They will accurately estimate your lost earning capacity.
If the Insurance Company Denies the Claim
Did the insurance company deny a claim you are sure they should approve? This can happen if you think the other driver hit you, but the insurance company disagrees. A car accident attorney can review the case and file an appeal with the insurance company to get it covered.
You should also hire a car accident lawyer if the insurance company offers too little for your losses. Most auto insurance companies offer low settlements to people without an attorney. Your personal injury attorney is adept at insurance negotiations and trained to get you the most money.
Multiple Vehicles Involved
Imagine you are rear-ended on the highway in traffic, causing you to hit the person in front of you. Five or six vehicles were in the crash, and it’s hard to say if one person or many were at fault.
This type of complex accident requires a car accident attorney to sort out. Other drivers who hire an attorney can blame you unfairly, and you should have a lawyer to represent you.
Someone Died In The Crash
You should always retain a car accident attorney promptly if someone killed your relative in the accident. Wrongful death claims are complex and usually have a high case value.
You should receive fair compensation for your loved one’s pain and suffering, your mental anguish, funeral and burial expenses, lost income, and more.
The Insurance Company Blames You
Can you imagine if someone hits and injures you, and then the insurance company blames you? For instance, a driver hit you from behind because they were distracted, but the insurance company argues that you stopped for no reason. You should have a car accident attorney review the evidence to prove that the other driver injured you.
You Have a Catastrophic Injury
You should always have a car accident attorney after a catastrophic injury. This injury prevents you from working and causes long-term or permanent disability. The most common catastrophic injuries are amputation, hearing or eye injuries, paralysis, and traumatic brain injuries.
What Can You Get for Your Car Accident Injuries?
Every car accident claim differs from another, so it’s hard to say how much money you can get. Your settlement or jury award depends on the unique case factors.
However, these factors often influence the size of your compensation:
- The severity of injuries: Someone with a disabling injury, such as paralysis, will have a higher case value than a minor injury, such as a back sprain. Hire a car accident attorney if you have any injuries, but you always should for a severe, life-changing injury.
- The amount of medical bills: Someone with hundreds of thousands in medical bills will have a larger case than if you only saw a doctor twice for your injury. You also may have considerable future medical care expenses that lead to a higher settlement.
- The amount of insurance: The at-fault driver with minimal insurance may mean a smaller settlement because the policy only covers $25,000 or so of damages. Your attorney will determine if other, larger insurance policies can pay compensation, such as if a truck driver caused the accident. Trucking companies must carry higher insurance coverage by federal law.
- Age and health: A younger, healthier person can have a bigger case value because they have more years of work in front of them. On the other hand, a retired postal worker can have a lower settlement because they no longer work and won’t receive lost income.
- Education and job: People with higher-paying jobs and more education can receive more money because they have higher lost earnings. They also can have more lost earning capacity if they can not work in the future.
- Settlement or sue: A car accident settlement ends most claims. You receive a certain amount of money in exchange for ending the case, but it’s usually less than the full case value. Suing may result in a larger jury award, but you can also lose. The uncertainty of a court case is why most claims settle out of court.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney Now
The first weeks after a severe car accident injury are critical. Obtaining the most compensation for your losses means immediately involving and hiring a skilled car accident lawyer.
A car accident attorney will maximize your compensation by collecting vital evidence, determining your full losses, and negotiating aggressively with the insurance company.
Speak to a Spring Valley personal injury attorney today for immediate assistance. They are standing by to help you.