Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer After an Accident in California
If you’ve been injured in an accident and think someone else’s negligence or intentional conduct was to blame, you may not know it, but you could be entitled to recover financial compensation from them or their insurance company. If you’ve never been in this situation before, it can feel overwhelming, and you may not know what to do next.
Fortunately, you never have to handle it alone. Working with a qualified Roseville car accident lawyer is the best way to ensure you take the right steps and get what you are entitled to. Below are some of the specific benefits of hiring a lawyer after an accident in California.
Lawyers Protect Your Rights From Day One
From the moment you’re injured in an accident, having a lawyer on your side makes a big difference in protecting your legal rights. Insurance adjusters and investigators may contact you very soon after a crash, often in an effort to get you to say something that will justify them lowering your payout.
They may ask for a recorded statement or ask you to sign documents. When you work with a lawyer, they’ll make sure you don’t sign away any of your rights and accept a quick offer that is lower than what you should get.
They Gather and Preserve Critical Evidence
A strong accident claim requires collecting important evidence, like police reports, medical records, photos of the accident scene, and witness statements. It’s also important to preserve evidence that can’t be obtained right away. This often includes video footage, maintenance records, training records, black box data if it was a car accident, and anything else that may be difficult for you to access without a lawyer.
A Lawyer Can Determine Who Is Liable
Accidents in California can involve many different parties. This could be a driver on the road, their employer, a subcontractor at work, or a store owner who didn’t clean up a mess, for example. There are more people who could be legally responsible for your accident, and your attorney will investigate thoroughly to determine this.
They Will Calculate All of Your Losses
Accident victims frequently underestimate the total impact their injury will have on their life and finances. It’s not just medical bills and lost wages that come after being injured. You could also face more emotional injuries like pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life. These losses may seem impossible to put into a dollar amount, but your lawyer will do just that to try to make sure you seek justice and appropriate compensation.
An Attorney Handles All Communications With Insurance Adjusters
Dealing with insurance adjusters after an accident can be overwhelming and sometimes counterproductive for a victim. A California personal injury attorney handles all communication with the insurance company and any defense attorneys involved. They will protect you from some of the tactics that these companies employ to reduce or deny payouts, and make sure you aren’t taken advantage of during this difficult process. Your lawyer will do everything they can to make sure you receive a fair settlement offer.
They Can File a Lawsuit and Represent You in Court
If an insurance company refuses to offer you what you are actually entitled to from the accident, your lawyer can file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. They will manage every step, from start to finish making sure everything is filed on time and that your case is as strong as possible.
You Pay Nothing Upfront With Contingency Fees
When you’re injured in an accident, you might worry that it is too expensive to hire a lawyer to help you recover compensation. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. Almost all personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. Under this type of payment agreement, you don’t pay the lawyer anything up front and they only get paid if they win your case for you. Any fees they receive will be taken from your award, so you’ll never have to pay them out of your own pocket.
If you’re dealing with injuries after an accident, you should always consider at least speaking with a personal injury attorney to determine if you have a case to recover compensation against another party. We are here to help you. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.