Many people don’t have experience working with an attorney if they haven’t previously been involved in a car accident or other personal injury accident. For this reason, it may be hard for some people to decide whether or not they should hire an attorney to represent them.
Oftentimes, people believe that attorneys aren’t worth the money or aren’t helpful, but this isn’t the case. Attorneys are almost always worth the money. And many personal injury attorneys don’t take any fees unless your case is won. At Sand Law, we work on a contingency basis. So we don’t get paid unless you win your case. That means that you won’t have to pay anything upfront to hire an attorney.
However, there are some times when you should hire an attorney and some times when you don’t need to. If you aren’t sure when an attorney is necessary for your car accident case, we can help answer any questions you may have.
You Should Hire an Attorney If…
If you’re thinking about hiring an attorney, you should at least make an appointment to speak to one about your case. Scheduling a case evaluation is free with most attorneys. If an attorney tries to charge you for a case evaluation fee, don’t sign a contract with them. They’re likely more interested in your money than helping you win your case. At Sand Law, we’ll evaluate your case for free and answer any questions you may have about the process, the contract, and our methods.
Speaking with an attorney is often the best way to determine whether or not you should hire one. However, if you’re still trying to make that decision, here are some circumstances in which you should definitely hire an auto accident attorney.
You Have Complex or Expensive Injuries
Car accidents are often the result of severe injuries that can have a great effect on one’s life. Traumatic brain injury, paralysis, broken bones, spinal cord injury, and amputations are just a few examples of injuries one may sustain because of an accident. Not only are injuries painful and stressful. They also come with high medical bills and a change to one’s quality of life.
These are all things that can be claimed in the form of damages. You can receive compensation for medical bills and lost wages if you miss work while recovering from your injuries. On top of that, you can also receive compensation for pain and suffering or a great change to your quality of life.
If these damages are high, it’s in your best interest to hire an experienced car accident attorney. Insurance companies will try to lowball your settlement. Without an attorney on your side, you may end up with less than you need to pay your medical debt.
Someone Else Caused Your Accident
If someone else was at fault for your accident, you shouldn’t have to pay for your medical bills and other debts on your own. Having an attorney will be a great help in establishing liability in your car accident case. If someone else caused your accident, you’d have to deal with their insurance company. They likely won’t offer you a high settlement no matter how high your damages are.
By hiring an attorney, you’ll be free to relax and recover from your injuries while they pursue your case and negotiate a high settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
You Were Offered a Low Settlement
If you tried to negotiate for a high settlement on your own, but the insurance company just won’t budge, it may be time to hire a personal injury attorney to negotiate on your behalf. Our attorneys are not only skilled when it comes to negotiation. But we’ve also been working in the industry for a long time. So we’ve made connections and established a reputation along the way.
This is good news for you, as insurance companies recognize our law firm as one that negotiates hard. This means they’ll usually start higher with their first offer. If you were negotiating for yourself, they’d lowball you, knowing that you won’t negotiate as aggressively and consistently.
A Loved One Passed Away as a Result of the Accident
In the unfortunate circumstance that a loved one passes away because of a car accident, you should always hire a car accident attorney. There are many damages on the table after a loved one’s death, like funeral expenses, burial costs, and medical bills. Not only that but the pain and suffering that your loved one and your family experience as a result of their death is often large.
Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t care about your loss and will still try to give you the lowest settlement offer possible. When you hire an attorney, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s someone advocating for your loss and your family’s suffering.
You Probably Don’t Need an Attorney If…
There are some specific circumstances in which you may not need an attorney. If you’re uncertain, we encourage you to schedule a free case evaluation. A good attorney will tell you when you don’t need to hire an attorney or when your case won’t benefit from one.
You Weren’t Injured
If you weren’t injured in your car accident, that likely means that you don’t have many damages to worry about. You won’t have medical bills to pay back or pain and suffering associated with injuries or lost wages. In general, if you aren’t injured in a car accident, you won’t experience much of a change in your life. Therefore, you may not need to hire an attorney.
You Don’t Want to be Paid for Your Losses
In some circumstances, people choose to let bygones be bygones. This is usually true with minor cases where people are minimally injured. If you don’t want to go through the process of a lawsuit and you don’t mind paying your own damages or relying on your own insurance company to pay your damages, you may be able to avoid hiring an attorney.
You Know a Lot About Insurance and Law
If you’re knowledgeable about the lawsuit process and you’re confident in your ability to negotiate a higher settlement with the insurance company, you may not need to hire an attorney. However, most people don’t have the established connections and relationships needed to win an injury claim. As such, you may not get as much as an attorney would be able to get for you.
You Have Free Time to Pursue Your Claim
Pursuing a claim without an attorney will take up a lot of your free time. If you have the time to pursue your claim on your own, you may feel inclined to do so. However, keep in mind that it will take up a good portion of your time. So if you’re busy, you may want to consider hiring an attorney to deal with it on your behalf.
If You’ve Been Injured in a Car Accident and You’re Looking for Legal Counsel, Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and you’re unsure if you should hire an attorney or not, schedule a free consultation here at Sand Law. We’ll go over your case with you and determine what the best plan of action is.
We have years of experience working on car accident cases, and we’re ready to help you take on yours. We can get you the compensation that you deserve while allowing you to take time to rest and recover.
For more information or to schedule a free case evaluation, please contact us online or at 651-291-7263.