When Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer?
After a motor vehicle crash, most people have more than a few questions. Many of those questions revolve around the legal steps to take following a car accident. Do I need an attorney if the crash wasn’t my fault? Should I hire a lawyer after a collision, even a minor one? When do I need a car accident lawyer?
The following tips will help guide you to a better understanding of when to hire a car accident attorney after a crash. Obtaining legal representation is, in many cases, the best way to move toward healing and recovery after injury. To discuss a personal legal matter with an experienced car accident lawyer in Mississippi, contact the office of Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law for a free case evaluation.
When You Should Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident
If you suffered a mild fender bender and liability wasn’t disputed, no one was injured, and the insurance company readily provided an adequate amount to cover any damages, you may not need a lawyer. Unfortunately, not every car accident case is so straightforward.
Here are just a few scenarios in which hiring a car accident lawyer might be the best choice. Remember, most good personal injury lawyers offer free case evaluations. If you’re in doubt about whether you need a car accident attorney after a crash, we at Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law can offer advice free of charge.
When Your Accident Has Complicating Factors
There may be questions about who is at fault in a multi-vehicle accident. The driver who caused your accident may be uninsured or underinsured. A minor may have been driving the vehicle that struck your car. You may have been injured in an accident caused by a commercial truck, delivery van, or government-owned maintenance vehicle. A third party, such as an auto manufacturing company or a road maintenance crew, may have been partially or fully responsible for your accident.
If there are any factors that make your case more complex than the average motor vehicle crash, you may need to hire a car accident lawyer. Attorneys are trained to analyze these complex events and accurately determine what caused the accident and who was at fault.
When Your Injuries Are Serious
If you’ve been seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision, there’s a lot riding on your settlement amount. When injuries are even slightly more severe than some minor bumps and bruises, treatment is expensive. There’s no reason you should be forced to pay for costly and extensive medical care when someone else’s negligence caused those expenses.
One of the biggest issues accident victims encounter when they file claims without a lawyer is not knowing the actual extent and cost of their injuries. Lawyers know what injuries to look for after a car accident and how to calculate those costs (and future ones) in your compensation amount. If you take a too-low settlement offer, you might not be able to afford the surgery you realize later that you need.
When There Are Disputes With an Insurance Company
After a car accident, the first step to obtaining compensation is usually to file a claim with your own or another driver’s insurance company. The goal is to get the money you need to cover the losses you suffered in the collision. But a number of issues can arise that prevent this from happening. An insurance company may dispute who was at fault, and use any number of tactics to discredit your story.
For this reason, we advise clients to never give a recorded statement to an insurance company without speaking to a lawyer first. Insurance adjusters have been known to trick, bully, or offer unreasonably low settlement amounts. When you have a lawyer, we make sure you aren’t taken advantage of by a company that puts profits over policyholder well-being.
When Your Accident Involved a Drunk Driver
Drunk driving is a serious, reckless, and often deadly offense. Those found guilty of driving intoxicated and causing an accident may be subject to both criminal and civil legal actions. The consequences of a drunk driving collision often include catastrophic injuries, permanent disability, or even wrongful death.
Because driving under the influence is such a willfully reckless action, accident victims may be entitled to both compensatory and punitive damages in a personal injury car accident case. Your lawyer may even need to look to see if the driver was overserved alcohol by a negligent establishment.
What To Expect When You Meet With a Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve never had to meet with a car accident lawyer, consider yourself fortunate. When we meet our clients for the first time, it’s because something life-altering has happened. No one comes to a car accident lawyer because they’re safe, healthy, unharmed, and financially secure.
This makes our job difficult, but it also gives us the opportunity to help people when they need it the most. We take our role seriously, and we work tirelessly to make sure that our clients get back to the place they were before a car accident changed their life—a place of safety, health, and financial security.
There are a few things you can expect when you go in for your first meeting with a lawyer. Remember that a car accident lawyer is an expert in their field, and you should be confident that your legal counsel will handle every aspect of your case with attention and care. You should expect your attorney to have the answers to questions you might not have even thought to ask.
DIY legal options aren’t always the best choice after a vehicle crash. When your health and financial future are at stake, you need an advocate you trust to make sure no detail slips through the cracks.
If you’d like to discuss your car accident with a qualified lawyer from Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law, take a moment to schedule an in-person meeting. We’ll listen to details regarding your case and advise you on the best way to seek recovery. There’s never a fee unless we win your case for you.
