If you have been involved in a car accident, you may be wondering when you should hire an attorney. The role of a car accident attorney goes beyond legal representation in a civil court. It starts with emotional support at a time when you need it the most. Your attorney will also be your guide through all legal processes that will come after the accident. He/she will ensure that you are well-advised and make decisions that will positively impact your life after the accident. However, you must engage the services of an attorney at the right time. In this blog, we will discuss some of the instances when it is necessary to hire the help of a car accident attorney.
When to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents happen when we least expect them. Therefore, the need for legal help comes abruptly. Sometimes the injured do not know the right time to seek legal assistance until it is too late. Legal services can be expensive in California. That is why most people are not quick to seek help until they are sure they need it. If you have been in a car accident, you want to make the right decision quick to void losing more than you have already lost in the accident.
The truth is, insurance companies start working right after car accidents. They know that a quick settlement will allow them to go on with their businesses without costing them more money and time. Their primary aim is usually to try and shift the blame to another party, so they cannot be held liable for the resulting damages.
Without legal help, it is possible to be blamed for an accident you were not responsible for in the first place. A car accident’s primary role is the protection of your rights against violation. You need a legal expert to protect your interest right after the accident. Here are some of the best times to contact a car accident lawyer in Los Angeles.
When You’ve Been Involved in a Serious Car Accident
Our roads have witnessed all kinds of car accidents, some minor and others serious. A minor accident is quickly resolved, and those involved can go back to their lives almost immediately. However, a severe accident takes time to resolve. It could involve many parties, several legal processes as those affected try to seek compensation for their losses. California has apparent laws in place that must be followed by all parties involved in a severe accident. The law guides them to unravel the accident, determine the responsible party/parties and seek compensation for their losses.
You may not achieve much without legal help if you have been involved in a severe accident. For instance, if you incurred life-threatening injuries and other more significant losses like the loss of a vehicle, you may not be in a position to follow through the legal processes to seek compensation for your losses. Hence, you will need the help of an experienced car accident lawyer. Car accident lawyers have been specially trained to handle cases involving car accidents. Therefore, your lawyer will know where to start, what to look out for, and the interests he/she should be safeguarding throughout the legal processes.
A serious road accident leaves those involved quite shaken and confused. In that state of confusion, it is easy to make mistakes that could be detrimental to your case if you plan to pursue compensation from the responsible party. For instance, you might be quick to apologize to another victim who could have been injured in the same accident. However small actions like those might seem, they could be taken out of context and cause you to be blamed for the accident. Hiring an attorney immediately after the accident will help you avoid mistakes like those. Your attorney will advise you on what to say, what to avoid, and how to go about preparing a case against the responsible party.
Hiring an attorney right after a severe accident will also help avoid losing crucial evidence from the accident scene. After an accident, things happen so fast at the accident scene. Therefore, it is possible to lose a piece of vital evidence that could help determine the actual cause of the accident and point to the responsible party.
Again, if the accident was severe, you might have incurred severe injuries that could have prompted you to seek immediate medical help. Therefore, you will not be able to take pictures of the accident scene, your damaged vehicle, speak to potential eyewitnesses or give your side of the story to the police. Your attorney will take care of it all and ensure that you are receiving the proper medical help for a quicker recovery.
If You Have Incurred Serious Physical Injuries or Tangible Losses
As previously mentioned, the outcome of a car accident is mainly dependent on the nature of the accident. A severe accident will leave you seeking medical help for the serious physical injuries you have incurred. It might also leave you counting significant losses for the value of the property you have lost in the accident. These are part of the damages for which you are entitled compensation under California personal injury laws. You may not know about these laws or the kind of damages you should be seeking compensation for without a good car accident lawyer by your side.
A car accident lawyer will play a significant role as you recover from your physical injuries. He/she will contact the insurance company on your behalf. The law requires accident victims to notify their insurance providers immediately after the accident. A delay in doing so could affect your case and the amount of compensation you could recover. If your injuries are severe, you could allow a legal expert to handle your case and the insurance company as you receive treatment. It gives you peace of mind, which is necessary for a quick recovery.
Your attorney will also determine the best approach to take to ensure that you are well compensated for your losses. If he/she feels that you might need to file a case in court for compensation, your car accident lawyer will start gathering evidence and preparing paperwork. Remember that California laws have strict deadlines for those seeking compensation for their damages in civil courts. Your serious injuries could take a longer time to treat, eating much on the time you have to file a solid case in court. Note that many car accident victims do not receive the compensation they deserve for filing their claims late in court.
Your attorney will also determine your damages and document them in readiness for your civil lawsuit against the liable party. He/she will be guided by the losses you have incurred following the accident. Your damages can be both economic and non-economic. An experienced car accident lawyer knows the types of compensable damages you could pursue in the kind of accident you were involved in. He/she will also be aware of the estimated monetary losses to seek compensation for. Your attorney will have all supporting documents ready to ensure that you are filing a solid case in court.
Therefore, if you have incurred severe losses in a car accident, it is advisable to engage the help of a car accident lawyer. A lawyer will ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve for all your losses.
When You’ve Been Blamed for a Car Accident
When a car accident occurs, the people involved or anyone at the accident scene can call the police. The police have several roles at the accident scene to process, photograph, and document the accident scene. All this is done to determine the cause of the accident and, after that, the responsible party. In the process, you could be named the primary or partial cause of the accident by other parties involved in the accident or eyewitnesses. If this happens, it is advisable to remain calm and seek the help of a car accident attorney.
If you have incurred damages in an accident that you might be partly responsible for, you need proper legal guidance to ensure that you will, at least, recover some of your losses. An experienced car accident attorney will pursue compensation under California Comparative Negligence Law. Under this law, the court will determine your percentage of fault first, and then the court will award the other percentage of fault based on the damages you have incurred in the accident. However, your attorney will first find evidence that could absolve you of any responsibility in the accident. If this works, you could recover total compensation for all your damages.
When you are to blame for a serious accident, you could panic and make utterances or act in a manner that could compromise your situation further. For instance, you might try to verbally or physically defend yourself, which could be interpreted as guilt. The other party might use anything you say or do to blame you for the accident fully.
It helps to contact a car accident attorney immediately after others blame you for an accident. The first thing an experienced attorney will do is advise you against saying anything to the police, other parties in the accident, or anyone else at the accident scene. Your attorney will come to the accident scene immediately to protect your rights. He/she will ensure you follow the correct procedure in handling the case.
Finally, your attorney will do everything possible, including hiring the help of an accident expert, to ensure that you are compensated for your damages. If indeed evidence from the accident scene shows that you were partly responsible for the accident, your attorney will ensure that you are partially compensated for your losses. He/she will aggressively represent you in court to compel the judge to award a more significant percentage of damages instead of denying you compensation altogether.
When You Want to Negotiate With Insurance Company
Insurance companies must be involved whenever a car accident occurs. California has strict insurance requirements for all motorists to ensure that they have adequate insurance coverage so that all damages incurred in an accident are well compensated. Therefore, after a car accident, the first thing you must do is to contact your insurance provider to report the accident.
Dealing with an insurance company is tricky for an ordinary person. Insurance providers are in the profit-making business. Therefore, they will do everything possible to avoid paying compensation or pay less than you deserve. That is why it is advisable to avoid dealing with an insurance company and only allow your attorney to negotiate with them on your behalf.
Your insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to represent its interests in the negotiations. The insurance company pays the adjuster to save it money. Therefore, he/she will not be interested in your interests. However caring or compassionate the adjuster might seem, do not fall to their antics. It is best to allow an experienced car accident attorney to handle all the negotiations on your behalf.
The settlement of almost all personal injury cases in California is out of court. Insurance companies are not willing to go to court and wait for years to lose the case. The company will be glad to make a quick settlement out of the court to save its time and money. However, it will not be willing to give you the compensation you deserve. But out of desperation, you might quickly accept the deal when you decide to negotiate directly with the adjuster. An experienced lawyer will know the tricks to use to compel the insurance company to pay you the compensation you deserve.
The company might try to trick you into making a mistake that could compromise your chances of recovering compensation. For instance, the insurance adjuster might use your words or actions against you to deny you compensation. Working closely with an experienced car accident attorney will ensure that you are not falling into the adjuster’s trap. Your attorney will adequately advise you on what to do and not do. He/she will handle the negotiations to avoid any interactions between you and the adjuster that could compromise your case.
The insurance company might also try to delay the settlement, so your time of bringing a lawsuit in court will run out. If this happens, you will have no other choice than to accept its payment. The company will take advantage of this to offer a smaller compensation than you deserve. Experienced car accident attorneys know these tricks too well. Your attorney will work within deadlines to serve your best interests until the end of your case
You Have Lost a Loved One in an Accident
A fatal car accident is more devastating as it leaves families, friends, and colleagues mourning the wrongful death of their loved ones. Even though it is impossible to have your loved one back, California personal injury laws allow the surviving family members of a lost loved one to seek compensation or the wrongful death of their kin. The money recovered could help with funeral and burial preparations and take care of the decedent’s dependents. However, the proper legal procedures must be followed if you wish to recover total compensation.
It is advisable to contact an experienced car accident attorney immediately after the accident. It ensures that crucial evidence is safe, which could be helpful once you start to pursue compensation against the responsible party. Your attorney will also determine the cause of the accident and the responsible party. These are essential details that you will include in your lawsuit.
Your attorney will help in proving your dependency on the decedent in court. California laws are stringent when it comes to seeking compensation or the wrongful death of a loved one. You must be a close family of the decedent to be allowed to seek compensation for their wrongful death in court. For this, the court will need to see authentic documents to grant your damages.
Your car accident lawyer will help you identify and document all damages your family incurred after losing your loved one. He/she will gather the necessary evidence to strengthen your case against the responsible party. Your attorney will fight in court on your family’s behalf to ensure that you recover total compensation for all your damages.
Find a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney Near Me
If you have been involved in a car accident in Los Angeles, determining the right time to hire an attorney is essential. Having an attorney at the right stage of the process can positively impact the outcome of your case. The role a car accident attorney plays in your case is essential and will determine whether you will receive the compensation you deserve for your damages. At Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney, we will be with you right after the accident to ensure that we are not missing any crucial step in recovering your damages. Call us at 424-237-3600 for an immediate consultation.
