When Should I Hire A Lawyer After a Car Accident?

After a serious car accident, your first priority will be to seek the care of a qualified physician who can treat any injuries you may have. After this, you may be wondering if your next step is to talk to an experienced car accident lawyer. You may have questions about whether or not hiring a personal injury lawyer is necessary, or recommended for your type of accident, especially if you’ve already been contacted by an insurance company offering you a settlement.

It’s critical to remember that these insurance companies have their own teams of lawyers and adjusters who are trying to help them save money – not you. Hiring your own lawyer can help you level the playing field, and lets the insurance company know you mean business. In this article, we cover what you need to keep in mind when considering hiring a lawyer for your car accident claim.

A Car Accident Lawyer Can Connect You to Experts 

In cases where fault or negligence is difficult to prove, the testimony of experts may be needed. An experienced lawyer can put you in touch with the experts you need to prove your case, including:

• Accident reconstruction experts
• Medical experts
• Vocational rehabilitation specialists
• Mental health care experts
• Highway safety engineers

These experts can not only reconstruct your accident to help you prove fault, but can also help estimate your pain and suffering damages, as well as damages related to lost wages or lost earnings potential. These amounts will be critical in determining what you are entitled to claim.

Estimating Pain and Suffering

Estimating the pain and suffering associated with your car accident is crucial in determining what your payout will ultimately be. Many states cap pain and suffering damages in an attempt to keep these types of compensation limited. Thankfully, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have no caps on non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, with the exception of claims against the government in PA. Because pain and suffering are subjective experiences, insurance companies will be likely to undervalue them in their initial offer. An experienced lawyer can help you determine the proper value for your pain and suffering claim. 

Familiarity With Local and State Laws

Every state creates and enforces their own laws, in addition to the federal laws of the United States. When looking for an attorney to represent your claim, be sure to find one who is licensed to practice in the state where your car accident occured. This ensures your lawyer will have in depth knowledge of specific state and local ordinances that may pertain to your particular case. 

Talking to a Lawyer Can Help You Understand if Your Car Accident Case Is Winnable

Most lawyers will not take a case if they do not believe they can win it. Trying a case is far too expensive, and much too time consuming, for an experienced lawyer to take do unless there is a good chance of winning. 

Talking with an experienced lawyer can help you understand if your case is winnable or not. So even if you are not sure that hiring an attorney is right for you, making that initial phone call is always a helpful first step in determining the best way to proceed. 

How a Lawyer Can Help After Your Car Accident

Regardless of whether or not your car accident was minor or severe, speaking with an experienced car accident lawyer can help you go up against the big insurance companies and win. Insurance companies are notorious for offering a low ball settlement when first reaching out to victims, and will often undervalue serious pain and suffering complaints. 

While most cases will settle before going to trial, having a lawyer lets the insurance companies know you are prepared to go all the way to trial if necessary, resulting in higher initial settlement offers. At Richard Hollawell, our initial consultation is always free, so contact us today at 1-800-681-3550 to determine if hiring a lawyer for your car accident is the right move. You can also reach us by filling out our contact form here.