Florida Personal Injury

When Should You Hire A Car Accident Lawyer?

Written by Maxwell Swinney | July 2018

If you've been injured in a car accident that was someone else's fault, you should hire a car accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Being injured in even a minor way makes for a difficult and stressful situation. Your health is the most important thing in the world. It's the one thing that, if you don't have it, nothing else matters. What good is money and the things it can buy if you're not physically well?

Getting healthy after being injured in a car accident is of the utmost importance. It could take multiple doctor's visits, physical therapy, and medication to do that. You'll need to get the insurance company of the driver that caused the accident to pay for your medical bills as well as reimburse you for pain and suffering and pay for repairs to your vehicle. 

Dealing with insurance companies and getting the results you need can be a challenge. You may not be able to get everything you're entitled to by working with them on your own. An attorney who's experienced with car accident and personal injury cases could help you get what you deserve. They will know how to establish negligence and document evidence that supports your case.

And it's better to start working with a car accident lawyer immediately because:

It doesn't cost you anything to hire a car accident attorney.

If you need a car accident attorney but don't have a lot of extra money, you're in luck because personal injury attorneys don't cost you anything out of pocket. Personal injury attorneys are typically paid out of the settlement funds they recover for you, which saves you money and creates incentive for them to get you as much money as possible. It's not like hiring most professionals. Hiring a personal injury attorney sooner does not cost more money, so there's no reason to wait. 

You could say the wrong thing and hurt your case.

In order to be compensated for your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering, it has to be proven that the accident was the other person's fault. If you talk to the insurance company on your own, you could accidentally say something that reduces the liability and negligence of the other driver.

You may have heard that, if the police suspect you have committed a crime, you shouldn't talk to them about it without a lawyer because you could incriminate yourself even if you're innocent. There are a number of cases of innocent people going to jail for a crime they didn't commit because they spoke to the police. Mistake.

The same thing can happen when dealing with insurance companies following an accident, although going to prison isn't a possibility. Even if the accident was 100% the other guy's fault, you could say something to the insurance company that reduces their liability. If you get a lawyer soon after the accident, you can let them talk to the insurance company for you and you can avoid saying the wrong thing.

You could be more seriously injured than you realize.

Some injuries that you can receive as a result of a car accident don't seem so bad at first, but get worse as time goes on. You don't think you need a lawyer, then in the days, weeks, or months after the accident your injury gets worse. That's why it's a good idea to go to the doctor even if you don't think you're badly injured so you have documentation of your injuries. Talking to an attorney as soon as possible can protect you in the event your future medical costs are more than you anticipated.

If you're injured in a car accident that's someone else's fault, talking to an attorney should be your main priority after getting medical treatment. Insurance companies are businesses and they'll try to pay you the absolute minimum amount because that's what's best for their company's profit. They may offer you less than the cost of your medical bills. You need an experienced professional on your side who can fight to get you everything you deserve. Your physical and financial health depend on it.