Many victims of car accidents are unsure whether they need an attorney. Generally, you need an attorney if you’re seriously injured.
Car insurance companies have attorneys working on their behalf to make sure they pay out as little as possible for each claim. An experienced New York auto accident attorney can help you protect your rights and secure compensation that covers all of your losses.
How an Accident Attorney Can Help With Your Car Accident Claim
Car accident attorneys have extensive training and experience that put them in a much better position to get you the money you need after a crash. This is especially important when it comes to negotiating with insurance companies, who are in business to make as much profit as possible.
An experienced attorney will immediately contact the police to conduct a prompt investigation of the crash. This will document the facts of the accident in an official report, and these details can make a huge difference in how a case unfolds.
Insurance providers review the accident reports and other documents to determine how much they’re willing to pay to resolve a claim. Your attorney will work with you to ensure that the compensation you receive covers all your economic damages and injuries, including future expenses and emotional trauma.
What Will My Car Accident Attorney Near Me Do?
Car accidents are common occurrences that often lead to serious injuries. These injuries can have a lifelong impact on you and your family. They can cause medical bills, lost wages and other expenses. Your attorney will make sure that all of your losses are covered.
Your attorney will review all of your expenses and losses and determine what you are entitled to under New York law. You may be able to receive both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that can be backed by documentation such as invoices, receipts or pay stubs.
Remember, you should never give a statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company. They will do everything they can to avoid paying you what you are owed. They will challenge your claim and minimize the severity of your injury in an attempt to reduce their liability.
Contacting the Other Driver’s Insurance Company
Generally speaking, it’s not advisable to talk to the other driver’s insurance company until after they’ve admitted fault and you have already spoken with your own car insurance agent. The reason is that anything you say can and will be used against you to create reasonable doubt about who is at fault.
An adjuster for another insurance company will probe you with questions that don’t seem related to the accident at all in order to get you to say something that they can use to deny your claim or force you into a lower settlement than what you’re owed. If they try to pressure you into agreeing to a recorded statement, politely decline and offer them your insurance company’s number and ask them to contact your attorney.
Accident Attorney Obtaining Necessary Evidence of Damages
A good car accident lawyer will often go back to the scene of the crash himself/herself. This allows them to get a better sense of what actually happened from the driver’s or passenger’s perspective, which may be different than yours.
They will also seek medical records and bills from your healthcare providers. These are necessary for demonstrating the extent of your injuries, and they are essential to winning a fair settlement from the at-fault party’s insurance provider.
Car accidents can be scary, shocking, and traumatic. In addition to resulting in serious injuries, they can cause expensive property damage and lost wages. A seasoned New York Car Accident Attorney can help you protect your rights and pursue compensation that covers all of your losses. They will fight any attempts to deny or limit your damages.
Negotiating With Lien Holders
Many medical liens are filed by doctors, hospitals, and health insurance companies seeking reimbursement for treatment costs they paid on your behalf. Liens are enforceable by state law and must be satisfied from any settlement or award awarded to you.
Your personal injury attorney will negotiate with lien holders to reduce the amount you owe. Liens that are not resolved can lead to debt collection and may damage your credit.
Medical liens are often complicated and negotiated to prevent you from paying more than you should. Liens must be paid out of any compensation you receive, and a good personal injury lawyer will make sure that more of your settlement goes to you instead of the holder of the lien. They have years of experience negotiating to reduce large medical liens to give you more money to pay your bills.
Accident Attorney Near Me in California and the San Francisco Bay Area
Almost no one gets into their car expecting to be involved in an accident. However, car accidents occur on a daily basis throughout California and, unfortunately, often result in serious injuries for those involved and thousands of dollars in vehicle damage. Thankfully, injured victims in these situations are generally able to obtain financial compensation for their losses through a personal injury claim.
An experienced and knowledgeable car accident attorney will be able to help you pursue the maximum amount of compensation for your losses. A skilled attorney will be able to analyze your case, explain your legal options and help you decide on the best course of action to pursue.
In many cases, insurance companies try to minimize the amount they pay out on an accident claim. Having an aggressive and experienced car accident attorney on your side will help prevent you from being taken advantage of by the insurance company.
After an accident, it is important that you document any evidence you can. This includes taking photographs of the scene, collecting contact information from anyone who may have witnessed the crash and noting any relevant details that could be helpful in determining how your accident occurred. You should also seek medical attention and follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations.
Can You File a Lawsuit for Injuries Suffered in a Car Crash Caused by Someone Else?
Whether you can recover damages depends on the extent of your injuries. If you suffer a significant injury like a brain injury, spinal cord injury or loss of a limb, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. This will include both your economic and non-economic losses.
Economic damages will take into account any medical bills, the cost of your ongoing care and treatment and any lost wages due to your inability to work. Non-economic damages will include your pain and suffering, the mental trauma of your accident and the impact on your quality of life.
While most people choose to file an insurance claim and try to work things out that way, you do have the right to sue if an insurer refuses to settle your car accident claim in good faith or offers a low settlement offer that fails to cover all of your losses. A car accident lawyer can help you build a strong case that will allow you to recover the full amount of compensation that you deserve.
It’s important to consult with a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. That gives your attorney the best chance of proving that another party’s breach of duty caused the crash and resulted in your injuries.
When Can I Handle a Car Accident Claim Myself?
If the other driver involved in your car accident admits their liability for the crash, you can file a claim with their insurance provider to recover compensation for your injuries and losses. This process can take a while, as your lawyer will need to conduct their own investigation, gather evidence and negotiate a fair settlement with the insurer.
You will also need to provide a detailed account of how the accident has impacted your life, including past and future medical bills, loss of income, property damage and pain and suffering. To prove that you have suffered these damages, it is important to have documentation to back up your claims, such as medical records, diary entries and expert witness testimony.
Insurance companies know that claimants who do not have a lawyer represent themselves, and they will often strategically drag out the process in order to make it as difficult as possible for you to get the compensation you deserve. With the help of an experienced attorney, you can prevent these strategies and improve your chances of recovering the full amount of your damages. A good lawyer will have extensive experience with car accident cases and the necessary training to win your case. This puts them in a much better position than you are, and they will likely be able to get you far more money than you would have received on your own.
