No one wants to be in any motor vehicle accidents, but they are a reality to our world. And they can be very serious. In 2015, more than 32,000 crashes in the United States killed someone. After any motor vehicle accidents, it can get hard to make good decisions because emotions, injuries, and even simple frustrations get in the way. It’s almost never too soon to get a car accident attorney.
When Should I Call a Personal Injury Attorney?
If motor vehicle accidents have caused serious injuries or death, or if you’re in a crash involving multiple parties, it’s usually wise to call an attorney. This is also true if there any issues you don’t understand about your insurance coverage or liability, or if you don’t have insurance. If you feel the police report doesn’t correctly describe what happened, that’s also a reason to make sure you’ve got legal help. Finally, if everything seemed fine at the time, but now your insurance company is calling with issues you didn’t know about or questions you don’t understand, or if they ever call and connect you to their own attorney, finding a car accident attorney for your side is essential.
Are There Any Special Cases Where I Need to Get Help?
If motor vehicle accidents happen at a construction site, this could be a much more complicated case. Construction accidents or truck accidents at a worksite nearly always require lawyers to sort out.
When Can I Avoid Calling An Attorney?
Motor vehicle accidents that are minor, where there’s no damage, no one was injured, and no one missed any work or another essential appointment may not need any lawyers involved. However, many lawyers will offer free consultations, so even in these cases, it might be worth your while to take advantage of one, just to cover all your bases.
What Can A Lawyer Do That I Can’t?
One of the biggest ones you might not have thought of is communicating with the insurance company. Insurance companies have a lot of resources, both financial and legal, at their disposal. They also have a clear goal in every case: to pay as little as possible. With this in mind, it’s not uncommon for insurance companies to press you to settle quickly. Never sign anything from the insurance company until you’re completely certain what all the long-term ramifications will be. A good attorney will be able to advise you on what those are much faster than sorting it all out yourself.
Motor vehicle accidents are no fun, and we all hope we’ll never be in one. If you are, however, make sure you’ve protected yourself and your loved ones by getting the legal advice you need to understand your situation and all the options.