What Do Car Accident Lawyers Do?

As soon as somebody is involved in a car accident, they’re advised to start working with a car accident lawyer…but why? Rather than just following the advice for the sake of it, you need to know the value that you’ll get from this professional. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know.

What Does a Car Accident Attorney Do?

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Even if you’re partly to blame, the comparative negligence system in Florida means that you’re entitled to the percentage of compensation for which you weren’t responsible. For example, you’ll receive 75% of the damages if you were 25% responsible for the accident.

Likewise, those who have lost a loved one in a car accident may also be entitled to compensation. Although the case will differ slightly, a car accident can help to bring the case to fruition.

So, how exactly does a car accident attorney help? Well, the truth is that car accident victims can obtain compensation alone. However, there are various reasons why this isn’t wise:

• You don’t have the experience and knowledge needed to either achieve a settlement or bring a case in front of a judge.

• You don’t have the experience to know the worth of your case - you’ll need to consider economic damages as well as non-economic damages.

• You’re likely to make one of the classic mistakes whether this is undervaluing your case or admitting blame to an insurance adjuster. Insurance adjusters are hired to reduce the value of potential cases rather than help victims.

• You shouldn’t have to worry about all sorts of legal proceedings when your focus should be recovery or grieving.

When you hire an accident lawyer, you’ll have a professional to protect your legal rights while you focus on recovery. What’s more, their knowledge and experience will ensure that you avoid common pitfalls while chasing the compensation figure that you deserve. The car accident lawyer will work tirelessly to communicate with the insurance company, gather evidence, organize all bills and medical records, negotiate with the insurance company, and always protect your legal rights.

Ultimately, the goal for your attorney is to obtain the compensation that you deserve after an accident. Fortunately, the professionals at The Injury Firm have decades of experience and are passionate about helping accident victims with compensation claims. Another reason to choose a car accident attorney is that they have the resources to take the case in front of a judge if the negotiation stage doesn’t go so well.

Importance of Proving Negligence

If an accident lawyer is to succeed with your case, they’ll need to prove the negligence of the other driver. Sadly, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) recently stated that nine in ten car accidents are still preventable. Why? Because they’re caused by negligence or driver error. Here are just some causes of such accidents:

• Distracted driving
• Driving recklessly
• Speeding
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Failing to follow traffic signs and signals
• Turning to speak to passengers in the back
• Applying makeup or otherwise looking excessively into the mirror

When it comes to car accidents, proving negligence is one of the most difficult tasks of all (even if the accident seems straightforward). Unfortunately, this is where many individuals fail when they choose to chase compensation without legal assistance.

Your car accident lawyer will need to prove that the other driver had a duty of care towards you. Luckily, this is one of the easiest steps because all drivers have a duty of care towards one another. After this, they’ll need to prove that the other driver failed in this duty, this failure caused an accident, and this accident caused your injuries.

The Injury Firm will help to prove negligence for your case so that you can claim compensation for the amount you deserve. Don’t settle for anything less and don’t choose to forgo legal representation during this difficult process.

Potential Compensation After a Car Accident

Naturally, obtaining compensation is one of the most important tasks for a car accident attorney. After experiencing life-changing injuries, you need funds to pay for the medical costs and other expenses that have arisen as a direct result of the accident. Assuming you weren’t responsible for the accident, you’re entitled to 100% of the damages.

When researching this topic, you’ll often find the word ‘compensation’. But what does this include? You could receive compensation for the following damages:

• Lost wages
• Existing medical bills
• Future medical bills
• Emotional anguish
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Disability
• Household assistance

In some cases, family members will file a case/claim against a guilty party after losing a loved one. If a relative has died because of negligence on the road, the potential damages include funeral costs, medical bills, loss of consortium, loss of companionship, and more.

As noted previously, one of the biggest mistakes that people make when going it alone is not valuing their claim highly enough. They undervalue their claim, the insurance company takes the deal because they recognize the undervaluing, and you lose the opportunity to ever claim more. The Injury Firm will consider the facts of your case before helping you to come to the correct valuation - we’ll then push for this figure whether it comes during the settlement negotiations or a court case.

Winning a Case

If you want to win a case, legal representation is pivotal. If you don’t have the right experience and qualifications, the process is littered with potential pitfalls and mistakes. To avoid falling into the traps of those before you, contact a car accident attorney before it’s too late.

Plenty of effort goes into winning a case, and here are some of the biggest tasks performed by an accident lawyer.

Communicate with Insurance Companies

After a car accident, there’s constant communication between the insurance company and the victim. Above all else, what you need to realize is that, regardless of what you think about insurance companies, they don’t want to pay you. Even though they claim to be a service for the people, paying you full compensation means that they have lower funds for their Christmas bonuses. After all, insurance companies are businesses that aim to make a profit (and a large one at that!).

Prepare Settlement Demand Letter

Another area in which victims struggle is with the settlement demand letter and other important documents. Like fixing components of a car, you need the experience to do it correctly. The Injury Firm will prepare a settlement demand letter to detail the facts of the case and pave the way for negotiations.

Compile Evidence

In the meantime, your car accident attorney will also go above and beyond to collate all evidence. As well as medical bills and police reports, this means chasing witness statements. The Injury Firm will contact potential eyewitnesses and do everything it can to strengthen your case.

Represent Victims

We’ve mentioned court a couple of times in this guide, and this might lead you to feel nervous. The first thing to note is that, fortunately, most cases are resolved before reaching a court. Often, the insurance company understands when victims have a strong case. When this is backed by the resources of a reliable and successful attorney like those at The Injury Firm, it makes no sense for the insurance company to continue to court.

Even after filing a lawsuit, there’s still time for the insurance company to back down. On the rare occasion where the insurance company doesn’t back down, The Injury Firm will continue fighting in your corner in front of a judge. Since some attorney companies don’t have the resources for this, it’s important to choose carefully.

Contact Medical Professionals

In case all this wasn’t enough, your chosen attorney will also contact medical professionals and potential expert testimonies. With expert knowledge in certain areas, they can dismiss counterclaims from the insurance company and help your cause. For example, a medical professional can prove why you need the chosen amount for future medical care.

Protect Legal Rights

All in all, an accident lawyer will protect your legal rights at every step of the journey. While you’re recovering, your lawyer files all the right paperwork, communicates with the insurance company, and compiles as much evidence as possible.

Contact The Injury Firm Today

You wouldn’t perform a major repair on your vehicle without experience and you wouldn’t perform dental surgery on yourself, so why enter this field alone? When insurance companies see that a victim hasn’t got legal representation, they rub their hands together knowing that they won’t have to pay full compensation.

When you’re backed by The Injury Firm, they’re instantly nervous because of our track record. Don’t navigate this hazardous world alone because you’ll only end up with less compensation than you deserve. Get the right compensation with a car accident lawyer and get your life back on track!