Every year, more than 38,000 people die on US roadways in vehicle crashes. On top of that, there are an additional 4.4 million people who receive serious injuries in car accidents.
If you’ve been involved in an auto crash, it can completely upend your life. Consequences like injuries, lost time at work, and having to repair or replace your car can completely change what your days consist of.
Are you wondering whether or not it’s worth it to hire a car accident attorney after you’ve been involved in an accident?
Let’s take a look at ten reasons why it’s worth it to hire a lawyer after a car crash, whether it’s a truck collision in Indiana or an accident with other passenger vehicles.
1. A Car Accident Lawyer Acts as Your Advocate
When you’ve been in a car accident, you end up dealing with a lot of different parties. These might include the other people involved in the accident, medical professionals, hospitals, insurance companies, and more. Unfortunately, most of these other people aren’t going to be acting with your best interest in mind.
However, when you hire an Indianapolis car accident lawyer, you have an experienced professional who is on your side. They can take care of this type of communication so you don’t have to.
With a thorough understanding of the law and insurance policies, a lawyer is well-positioned to interact with all of these other parties. They are your advocate, meaning that it is their job to work towards the best possible outcome for you.
2. They Will Evaluate Your Case Thoroughly
Chances are you haven’t been in countless semitruck collisions or car accidents. This means that the whole process can be new, unusual, stressful, and overwhelming.
Experienced car accident attorneys, on the other hand, have had experience with hundreds or thousands of car accident cases. What that means is that they have a complete understanding of how the process works and what you can expect.
It can be difficult to prove fault in a car accident. An attorney will be able to help you collect the vital information you need in order to prove that the crash occurred as a result of someone else’s actions or negligence.
Even if it seems clear to you who was at fault, the insurance company and the other party might try to prove otherwise. An attorney will also have the resources to hire the necessary professionals to prove your case if liability is disputed.
They will be able to look closely at your specific circumstance and be able to outline what the possible courses of action are. On top of that, they can help guide you in deciding what makes the most sense for you.
3. An Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyer Will Have Extensive Knowledge of the Next Steps to Take
It is common knowledge that you should exchange insurance information with the other parties involved when a car accident has occurred. However, what do you do if you’ve gotten into an accident with someone who doesn’t have auto insurance? As soon as things get the least bit complicated, the average person won’t have any idea how to proceed.
After you’ve been in a car accident, it can be incredibly confusing to know what steps to take next. Who are you supposed to call, what are you supposed to say and what are you not supposed to say?
Unfortunately, insurance adjusters and other parties might sound very friendly on the phone but they aren’t usually working in your best interest. This means that they might try to get you to accept an unfair settlement or admit to fault that you don’t have.
When you hire an experienced lawyer, they can help you navigate all of these steps. They can let you know what the possible avenues are for you to go down and what it means in each instance. Having a car collision attorney is like having a GPS in a complicated landscape.
4. They Have Access to Top Medical Professionals
If a car accident has left you injured, it can be hard to know where to turn or help. Sometimes a general practitioner may be able to help with your injuries, while other times you might require the help of a specialist.
When you work with a lawyer, they’ll be able to connect you with top medical professionals. Not only are you not on your own when it comes to the legal aspects of your case, but you can also have assistance when it comes to finding the medical help you need.
5. They Take Care of the Paperwork
It can be incredibly arduous to build a strong case for an insurance company. It is common for insurance adjusters to do everything humanly possible to give you the smallest payment they can. Additionally, hospitals and doctor’s offices can slow down the process by being slow to send the paperwork that is necessary to build your case.
Dealing with all of this on your own is tedious and frustrating. However, with a lawyer, they can take care of all of that for you. They know how to cut through the red tape and move the process along.
What this means is that you don’t have to waste your time unnecessarily stressing about your case. Instead, you can focus on getting better and getting back to your life.
6. A Car Accident Attorney Understands Insurance Policies
Have you ever read through your insurance policy? It’s filled with fine print and the policy might change periodically without you even really realizing it.
If you aren’t sure what your insurance policy says, you might be leaving money on the table. Your insurance company isn’t going to go out of their way to let you know all the different ways your policy covers your accident.
Car accident lawyers, though, are well-versed in the world of insurance policies. This means that they will be able to interpret how your policy relates to your claim and what it means in terms of compensation. Basically, with an attorney, you’ll be able to receive the highest possible settlement versus if you were going it alone.
You can learn more about arbitration for motor vehicle insurance disputes in this article.
7. They Can Help Craft a Strong Letter of Demand
One of the most important steps in the insurance claim process that happens early on is the letter of demand. This is a document that outlines the specifics of a car accident precisely, in addition to your economic losses, medical treatment, and the affect it had on your quality of life.
It takes experience and talent to create an excellent letter of demand. This is a relatively short document of only a page or two, but it is packed full of relevant information. If your letter of demand is inadequate, there’s a good chance you will get a lower settlement than you could have with a stronger letter.
A car accident attorney will have years of experience sending effective letters of demand. This means you can trust in their ability to start the claims process off on the right foot and help you obtain the best possible settlement.
8. They Can Help Negotiate the Best Possible Outcome For You
While most car accident claims are settled out of court, there is always the chance that your case could end up in the courtroom. If that’s the case, you’ll definitely want an experienced lawyer to represent you. They will understand how to build the strongest possible cases, present powerful closing arguments, and select the most impactful witnesses.
Even if your case stays out of court, there will doubtless be negotiation during the process. Most of us aren’t skilled negotiators in our daily lives unless our careers demand that of us. That means that the outcome will probably be less than desirable if you try to represent yourself in a negotiation with an insurance company.
9. Lawyers Make Insurance Companies Nervous
Another important reason that you’ll want a car accident lawyer is that insurance companies are frankly afraid of lawyers. When they know they’re just dealing with the insured, they might try and resolve the settlement in a way that is most favorable to them.
They pretty much always have the upper hand when you approach a claim without a lawyer. They are aware of the disproportionate number of resources all parties involved have, with the insurance company having vastly more resources than most individuals.
Insurance companies are motivated to try and pay you as little as possible and to pay you as slowly as possible. It is in their interest to deny, delay, or minimize settlements.
However, they are much more cautious when things get litigious. Having a lawyer shows that you are serious about protecting your rights and receiving the compensation you deserve. It also shows that you are willing to file a lawsuit if it comes to that, and that can be pricey for the insurance company.
While insurance companies are willing to bully the insured in order to pay as little as possible, they also don’t want to deal with the costs and resources that will be required if your claim moves into the courtroom. Once a lawyer is involved, they are much less likely to try their long list of tactics to pay you as little as possible if anything.
10. A Car Collision Attorney Can Help Make the Whole Process Smoother
The last thing anyone wants to deal with after the stress and trauma of a car accident is the absolute nightmare of navigating the insurance claim process. Car accident settlements can end up being incredibly complicated, with a number of different parties involved and endless paperwork.
An experienced car accident attorney can help you steer through this whole process. They understand the entire process from start to finish and what it entails. They will also be well equipped to deal with any particularly complicated or atypical circumstances.
You can have confidence that a car accident attorney will diligently handle all of your matters. You won’t have to deal with receiving a lower settlement than you could have received because a deadline was missed or a document wasn’t filled out correctly.
It’s worth it to hire the best possible car accident lawyer to represent your interests. Rather than calling the first name you find in the phone book, consider doing some research to determine who has a proven track record. At Yosha, Cook & Tisch, our firm’s success speaks for itself.
Hiring a Car Accident Attorney in Indiana: It’s Worth It
Getting into a car accident can completely upend your life. It can be incredibly damaging and disorienting to have this experience. It can result in physical injuries, effect your ability to return to work, and can reduce your quality of life. When someone else is responsible for the crash, you deserve to be compensated for the negative impact the occurrence had for you.
When you hire a car accident attorney in Indiana, they can help you navigate every aspect of the process. They can help you gather evidence regarding the crash, evaluate how the accident impacted your life, and demand fair compensation.
In the state of Indiana, there is a two-year statute of limitations for car accidents. This means that you have two years after a crash when you can collect compensation. For this reason, it is a good idea to call a lawyer as soon as you are able in order to receive the fair payment you deserve.
Are you looking for an Indianapolis car accident attorney? If so, contact us today!
