2 Reasons To Hire An Attorney After A Car Accident
Hiring an attorney after you have been involved in an auto accident is one of the most important things that you can do, mostly because of the many ways that he or she will be able to help you. An attorney can help you decide if a settlement offer is in your best interest, as well as keep you blameless when it comes to the accident.
1. Settlement
Many insurance companies are going to offer a settlement offer rather than go to court if they believe that your case is strong enough to win in court. As a result, the insurance company will often believe that they can save money by sending you a seemingly generous settlement offer. However, this settlement will very often not be in your best interests because the insurance company is going to offer the lowest amount that they think they can get away with.
The main reason that you will want help from an attorney when deciding whether to accept the settlement is because once you accept the settlement you surrender your right to demand more money or take the case to court. Thankfully, your attorney can sit you down and discuss the merits and weaknesses of your case so that you can make an informed decision. For example, if your case is not very strong, the attorney may recommend that you accept the offer so that you are guaranteed at least some money.
2. Blame
Things can often get really ugly when you are involved in a car accident lawsuit, mostly because some underhanded tactics can come out on the part of the person who caused the accident. The most common of these tactics is to blame the accident on the victim, usually so that the responsible party and his or her insurance company do not have to pay for your medical and repair expenses. In the worst case scenario, you could even end up paying to repair the vehicle belonging to the responsible party if the blame is successfully pinned on you.
However, an attorney can help you avoid this by gathering a few different types of evidence. For example, the attorney can look at police reports and the responsible party's driving record to see if there is a record of reckless driving. Your attorney can also look at phone records to see if the responsible party was on a call or texting when the accident occurred, which can prove that he or she was not paying attention to the road.
Speak to an attorney like Donald L Scales, today if you have been involved in a car accident. The attorney can make the lawsuit much easier by helping you remain blameless and assisting you with settlement offers.