If you've been injured in a car accident due to another driver's negligence,
there is no guarantee your medical bills will be covered by that
driver's car insurance company. Even if you are paid, you may not be
justly compensated.
While a lawyer may not be necessary in every auto accident claim, if
you've been injured in an auto accident for which you were not at fault
hiring a personal injury attorney can help you receive a fair
settlement from your insurance company.
It is possible to obtain a
fair settlement without the help of a personal injury attorney, but you
run a serious risk of being taken advantage of by the insurance
company. Unless you are a law student or personal injury professional, you are
likely unfamiliar with all the laws pertaining to personal injury
claims. In other words, you probably do not know what you are legally
entitled to, and could therefore be taken advantage of an insurance
adjuster. Because insurance companies profit by under compensating injured
persons, many companies will automatically offer a lower settlement to
persons not working with a personal injury attorney. For this reason,
many people opt to hire personal injury lawyers even before they have
been offered a settlement.
Anyone who has been through a motor vehicle accident knows that it can be a traumatic experience. Whether the accident involved an car, motorcycle, or commercial vehicle, you have the right to take legal action against any person, company, or entity that is responsible -- including private citizens, stores, manufacturers, insurance companies, large corporations, and government agencies. If you have suffered an injury in an automobile accident because of someone else's carelessness, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who will evaluate your case with you, to ensure that your legal rights are fully assessed and protected.
There are many potential damage awards available to people who are
injured in a car accident. In addition to medical bills, you may be able
to recover for lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional distress.
Your family members may even be able to recover for the loss of your
companionship if you have become incapacitated. If you don’t hire an
attorney, you may not be aware of all of your potential legal rights to
recovery. Even with witnesses and a police report saying the other party is at
fault, proving that they were negligent can be difficult. Since there are many elements that go into
winning a personal injury lawsuit, you will need to hire an attorney who
understands the law and who can provide references to cases, citations
and other sources of law that support your position. You may be permitted to “discover’ certain information from the other
side, and you may be limited in the types of witnesses and evidence you
present. There are even restrictions on the kind of questions and
phrasing of questions you ask in court. Furthermore, extensive legal
research often needs to be done to convince the court or jury to side
with you. As such, it is very difficult to prove personal injury
liability on your own.
You have only a limited time to sue: In most states,
the statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim is between
one and two years. If you don’t sue within that time, you give up your
right to sue forever. You may also need to file a police report or notice within a given period of time. If you don’t sue in time, if you don’t sue for the right damages or sue
the right defendants, and if you lose your case as a result of
improperly presenting your information, you will be barred from ever
suing again. This means you will have used up your only chance for
recovery and you will be stuck with all the costs and bills as a result
of the accident that someone else carelessly caused.
