You're driving home after a long day of work and out of nowhere you suddenly feel the impact of thousands of pounds hitting your vehicle. Your adrenaline is rushing through your veins and the world begins to stand still. This happens so fast that it's sometimes hard to remember what exactly happened or who's at fault.
As you stand on the side of the road waiting for the police officers and paramedics to arrive, do you know what steps you need to take following the incident? Not many people know exactly what to do before being involved in an accident. This is when it's time to call a car accident attorney.
Don't let a car accident shake you out of getting the outcome that you deserve. Here are 7 signs you should hire a car accident attorney!
1. You Got Injured During the Accident
The first sign that you need to contact a car accident attorney is when you realize you're injured. If you're injured from a car accident, you'll need to get the medical attention that you deserve. Unfortunately, there are a lot of legal steps that you need to follow to ensure that everything gets done the correct way.
For example, you only have so long to seek attention before it'll affect your claim in a negative way. You'll also need to provide the hospital, medical clinic, specialist, or primary care provider with all of your car insurance information and the other party's car insurance information as well.
Because there are so many legal steps involved with this process, it's best to have an attorney who knows the ins and outs of the process and can ensure that you do everything correctly.
2. You Need Help with Insurance Lingo
Aside from getting your injury taken care of in a proper manner, there's a lot of insurance lingo that you'll need to understand. With that being said, it's important to note that insurance companies' jobs are to hand out as little money as possible. If you don't understand insurance lingo, then you're giving the insurance company the upper hand.
By hiring a car accident attorney, you can put your mind at ease knowing that they'll know exactly what all insurance lingo means and how to work with the companies to get you the most compensation as possible.
3. You Need Help Understanding the Law
Just as insurance lingo gets confusing, state law gets just as confusing. Unless you've gone through legal training, you most likely don't understand the legal process that you must go through after being in a car accident. For example, you'll need to understand the statute of limitations on a personal injury claim and comparative fault.
Working with an experienced car accident attorney is the best way to ensure that all relevant laws and legal issues are addressed and handled properly. Your attorney will be able to explain these laws to you in detail. This means you won't have to stress about doing your own research.
4. You Need Help Getting Things Done Quickly
After a car accident, you only have so much time to react to the situation. Your car accident attorney will know the statute of limitations in Columbus, Ohio to ensure that you get things done quickly. Failure to get things done within a specified amount of time could result in you losing your claim.
Your attorney will understand the timeframe and be sure that everything is done within the deadlines.
5. You Need Aggressive Representation
When you hire a car accident attorney, he or she will have your best interest in mind. You need someone by your side in court who's aggressive and ready to do what's needed to win the case. If you don't have an attorney by your side, insurance companies automatically have the upper hand.
Your attorney will know your rights and what you deserve to get out of the case, and they'll fight for it.
6. You Need to Prove Liability
If you've been injured or even if you've only suffered from damage to your vehicle, you'll most likely need to prove who's liable in the accident. Many lawsuits will depend on eye witness reports or police reports. These reports help determine who's at fault, but with the help of an attorney, everything will go as smoothly as possible.
If you're unable to prove who's liable outside of court, then you're going to need an attorney to help you settle in court. Your attorney will be there to help prove the other party's liability.
7. You Need Help Settling a Claim
Knowing when it's time to settle a claim can be a difficult task if you're not used to settling claims regularly. Luckily, a car accident attorney does this for a living. Your attorney will be able to tell you when it's appropriate to settle out of court and when it's not.
They'll advise you on what steps to take to lead you to the best results possible.
It's Time to Call Your Car Accident Attorney!
Have you been involved in a car accident recently? If so, then it's time to call your car accident attorney! Having an attorney allows you the chance to take a breather while he or she handles your case for you.
Don't let the event of a serious car accident stress you out. Hire a car accident attorney and let him or her get you the compensation that you deserve!
Contact The Keating Firm today to see how we can help you!