If your work takes you on the road more often than not, there is a high chance you’d have seen accidents happen on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter if you are very careful when driving, it can happen to anyone at any time. These can even become worse when it was caused by a drunk driver or one who doesn’t care at all. You don’t want to get hit by these types of drivers. Even though they are the worst, they aren’t the major reasons why accidents happen on the road.
Being injured in an accident can result in permanent damage to your physical and mental wellbeing. When it is serious and life-threatening, it can lead to lasting disabilities like paralysis, brain damage, or even death.
Anyway, why do accidents happen? For quite a number of reasons such as driving in dangerous places, poor road maintenance, terrible car designs, and a bunch of other reasons contribute to why accidents happen. Now, the next question would be: what happens to an innocent civilian just walking down the road, a passenger, or a driver that experiences such traumatic events? They do deserve some form of justice or compensation, don’t they? You’d need to take some legal steps after the incident which is why you need a lawyer. Here are other reasons why.
1. Legal Advice
A large part of being involved in an accident is the emotional challenges and trauma you experience. Several things can take away your peace of mind — from the psychological trauma the accident brought to the painful injuries, and mounting medical bills, they’ll leave you wondering if you could ever get back on your feet.
You can certainly get back on your feet but you’d need a professional lawyer to guide you. An experienced attorney will provide you with the guidance you can depend on. They’d offer counsel that is sound, professional, objective, and honest about your case and the next steps to take. You’re certain all your questions would be answered and available options listed when you speak to a lawyer.
2. Available Resources to Help Build a Claim
When you hire an attorney, you get unlimited access to the firm’s available resources which they can use to help you demonstrate how severe the damages are to the insurance company.
If it was a car accident, your attorney will also have what it takes to investigate your accident, gather evidence, and identify who the defendant is. Considering that there are legal experts, they can use the information gathered to build a strong claim against the defendant while analyzing every other available evidence on your behalf. It is always useful to have an expert going through your case.
3. Knowledge of Befitting Compensation
The reality is that most people don’t know what to do next after an accident. This ignorance might lead them to accept less-befitting offers from the people who cause the accident whereas they deserve more. Hiring a professional lawyer will let you know how severe the damage was and what your rights are. You’d have what it takes to claim the kind of compensation you deserve.
Whether it was a car accident or injury at work, it is not limited to just damaged property or severe wounds. It also includes mental health which many people are unaware of. An experienced lawyer would not leave any stone unturned and ensure they don’t overlook any compensation. They will properly weigh and determine what the damages are worth.
4. Protection Against Insurance Bad Faith
In most cases, insurance companies are responsible for compensating victims but the process to make that happen isn’t an easy one. A lawyer has likely spent most of his work hours and days going up against insurance companies including other defendants for their clients involved in an accident.
You need that experience and knowledge to help with your claim. Your lawyer already knows what to say or do to get the company calling you with a fair settlement. Be rest assured that with them defending you, there would be no acceptance of a low offer or claim. They’d reject it outrightly. As a matter of fact, your attorney can file an insurance bad faith claim against them and probably get additional compensation.
5. Knowledge of Applicable Laws
A victim is more often than not concerned with healing and moving on from the incident instead of the legal process. Having a proper understanding of the law would provide you with the information needed to make a claim.
Who better to help you with that than an experienced attorney who has an in-depth understanding of the law and how it applies to your case. They would carry out a proper investigation on the accident and identify who was actually at fault. That is a crucial piece of information when proving liability or who’s at fault in front of an insurance firm or court.
If you’ve been a victim of an accident and have been confused about what to do next, do contact an injury lawyer to help you get justice. Many law firms would only collect their pay after they’ve gotten your claim. So, what’s there to lose?