Should You Immediately Find A Lawyer After An Auto Accident?
When you are involved in a car accident, one of the first things you may be thinking about is if you need to contact a lawyer. Here are some reasons why it's important to get them involved in the legal process as early as possible.
Evidence Gathering
There are many ways that a lawyer will step in and help your case. The first thing that needs to be done is gather evidence. While you are in the hospital recovering from your injuries, a lawyer can start the process of gathering evidence. This means going back out to the accident scene and taking photographs of damage and finding skid marks on the ground that can go away. They'll start talking to witnesses and asking for their official statement so it can be notarized. If you delay in getting these things done, you may end up losing that valuable evidence that you need to help win your case.
Medical Bill Assistance
You'll notice that the medical bills will start coming in soon after your accident. However, those due dates are well before when your case is going to wrap up. What do you do about medical bills you can't afford to pay? Have your lawyer talk to the hospital for you. They can help explain how your lawsuit is currently pending, and help delay the payment of these bills until after the case settles. You may be surprised at how flexible a hospital can be when talking directly to a lawyer.
Insurance Negotiating
It can be tough to navigate an auto accident case when the responsible motorist does not have enough coverage or has no coverage at all. A lawyer can help navigate this type of case by going after the driver for the maximum amount that you can collect, and then using your own underinsured motorist coverage to collect the remaining money that you are owed.
Communicating
It's a good idea to not talk to any insurance adjusters while your lawsuit is pending, because you do not want to say anything to potentially derail your case. Let your car accident attorney handle all of the communicating so that you do not make a mistake with something that you say regarding the injury. For example, you do not want to say something that could imply that you are at fault for causing the accident, or recovering faster than expected and make your injuries seem less serious.