6,756,000 car accidents occurred in the United States in 2019, resulting in more than 2.7 million injuries. That means a car accident occurs every five seconds in the United States. Every car accident is different. But every car accident survivor can benefit from the same resource: a car accident lawyer.
What can a lawyer do for you? How can a lawyer help you get compensation from your insurer or file a civil case? How can a lawyer develop a strong case for you? Here are seven benefits of a lawyer near you.
1. Professional Assistance with Recovery
A broken bone from a car accident can take at least six weeks to heal. If you rush your recovery, you can experience inflammation, extreme pain, and internal bleeding. This can delay the recovery process significantly.
Even if you were not physically injured in the car accident, you may have mental or emotional issues. Almost 40% of car accident survivors develop PTSD in the months after their accident.
It is very important that you take time to rest and recover. A car accident attorney can take over your case for you and let you focus on healing. In addition, your lawyer can provide you access to the best medical professionals and specialists in Tustin.
2. Defense from Insurance Companies
Insurance companies contact victims immediately after an accident and can take advantage of the injured in their weakened state. Insurance adjusters have a way of wording their questions in a confusing manner. These tactics trick victims into responding in a way that makes them sound liable for an accident.
However, an experienced attorney who has dealt with insurers is aware of their methods and will communicate on your behalf. In addition, they can aggressively negotiate and help you recover maximum compensation, instead of settling for less than you deserve.
3. Recover Fair and Full Compensation
Insurance companies want to give as little compensation as possible. Even if you were not at fault for the accident, the liable party’s insurance will not make it easy in recovering damages.
However, a lawyer can calculate all economic and non-economic damages, which will account for your losses. By compiling medical documents, medical bills, car repair estimates, and other invoices, your attorney will prove the financial losses you suffered.
Similarly, your attorney can work with you to determine how your life has been impacted since the crash. If you developed emotional trauma, you can be compensated for that, as well.
If an insurance company denies your claim, your lawyer can file an appeal. They can also negotiate a personal injury settlement with the other driver so you receive compensation.
4. Thoroughly Investigate Your Case
A car accident case can be complicated. The other driver may have fled the scene. Witnesses may have seen what happened, but they did not tell the police what they saw. Sometimes, there are a number of unresolved concerns, which will require further investigation into the case.
A law firm that has a personal investigator can work to find answers and gather more evidence that supports your case. For example, they can obtain video footage from surveillance cameras and determine who the other driver was.
In addition, an established law firm also works with expert witnesses who can reconstruct the accident and show the events that led up to the collision. If road conditions contributed to the accident, your lawyer can file a lawsuit against the local government.
5. Work with the Police
Section 20008 of the California Vehicle Code states that you must report an accident that causes injury or death to the local police within 24 hours. However, you should be careful when talking to the police. You may say something that hurts your case.
You should ask a lawyer to speak on your behalf. Give your lawyer a testimony about what happened and ask them to file a report for you.
It’s vital to contact the authorities, so a police report can be created. Your attorney can assist in obtaining that report if you are unable to retrieve it from the police station once it becomes available.
6. Knowledge of Relevant Laws
Various California laws can impact your car accident case. Even if you research these laws in-depth, you may find them hard to understand. Or, while pursuing compensation from the insurance company, you may not understand the terms of the contract.
The best lawyer knows about all relevant laws and can explain them to you in clear terms. They can review your insurance contract and determine how you should seek damages.
An attorney will also ensure all of your paperwork is filed correctly and on time. California’s statute of limitations only gives victims two years to file a claim. Your attorney will make sure you do not miss that deadline.
7. Prepare You if Fault Is Shared
California is a comparative negligence state. This means that you can recover damages from defendants if they bear any degree of responsibility for the accident.
However, the amount of money you can receive is reduced by your degree of fault for the accident. Even if you have significant injuries, you may not be able to receive all the money you want because you bear some fault. If the police suspect you were partially at fault for the accident, you could potentially lose your case and miss out on compensation.
Having a lawyer on your side can help defend you from being found fully liable. In addition, by utilizing proof, like surveillance footage, witness statements, and physical evidence, your attorney can still fight to get you partially compensated.
Hire a Tustin Car Accident Lawyer
The benefits of a car accident lawyer are substantial. They can use their expertise to craft strong cases and protect your rights from the insurance company. Legacy Accident Lawyers serves the Tustin area. Contact us today for a free consultation.