If you've been in a car accident, particularly if you or someone else has been injured, one of your first questions may be "Do I need an attorney?" The next question may be "Can I afford one?" Many people think they can save money by settling a car accident claim without a lawyer. This makes as much sense as trying to save on an airline ticket by flying the plane yourself.
Instead, you should ask yourself, "Can I afford to NOT have one?" It's in your best interest to let lawyers with years of experience handle your claim for you. Lawyers know the ins and outs of car accidents and legal claims. They can help you get the compensation you deserve.
If you're worried about costly attorney charges, we're here to dismiss your fears. Accident.com can help you find an accident attorney and get a free consultation. Plus, a reliable car accident attorney only charges fees if you win. The contingency charge stops you from paying legal fees out of pocket. In fact, most personal injury attorneys don't charge hourly rates.
Instead, you pay the lawyer a percentage of what they recover for you. This agreement means you only pay the attorney after they recover your compensation. They won't bill you for their work if they don't get a recovery. This set-up lets injured people who can't pay high hourly fees still recover damages for their injuries.
Insurance companies earn money by taking in more premiums than they pay out in benefits. Since you're trying to get benefits, you have to prove you're qualified for benefits. To make things harder, insurance companies may use tricks to get people to settle claims for less than what's fair. Some tricks insurance companies use are:
These examples are just a few ways insurance companies may try to get you to accept less compensation. Speaking with anyone other than a lawyer can harm your rights and your compensation. Third parties may not want you to win your case.
A car accident attorney from Accident.com can identify these insurance tricks and stop you from falling for the scheme.
States have different rules about what damages they allow. These rules change often, but personal injury attorneys stay on top of any updates.
For example, say your car accident injury prevents you from working. You may have a past wage loss claim. A past wage loss claim is the money you would have earned between the accident and the time of the settlement had you not been injured. You may also have a claim for the future harm the injury may have on your ability to work. In other words, someone who's not working now, such as a full-time homemaker, may have an earning capacity claim even if they don't have a wage loss claim.
A good lawyer knows the different ways your injuries have affected and will keep affecting your life. Without a lawyer, you may never know you could have had a fair settlement. The insurance company has no reason to tell you about the extra money you could get. They want to pay the smallest amount to close your claim.
Personal injury attorneys also know the monetary values for general damages. These damages include ongoing pain, disfigurement and emotional distress. General damages don't have official monetary amounts. It's important to have a car accident attorney on your side who's familiar with their values in your area.
Personal injury attorneys don't just help you get compensation. Lawyers help you by:
An expert car accident attorney can navigate a tough situation with insurance companies. The insurance company hires experts and lawyers to protect their interests. You should too. In order to get fair compensation for your car accident injury, you need an advocate to level the playing field. Accident.com has a network of expert lawyers who can support you.
Don't wait to contact Accident.com. There may be time limits to filing your claim.
Submit a contact form via desktop or mobile device. Our algorithm will connect you to an injury attorney located near you.
We connect you to a top lawyer near you. Your lawyer will immediately contact you for a free, no obligation, case consultation.
Please fill out the following form and we’ll be in touch with you in less than 24 hours.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. The information provided on this website is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by the use of this site. The attorney listings on the site are paid-for attorney advertisements and do not constitute a referral or endorsement by a state agency or bar association. It is not stated or implied that a lawyer is certified as a specialist in any particular field of law. No results are guaranteed, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This site is informational, only, not dispositive; it is up to you to decide whether a particular lawyer is right for you. Contingency fee refers only to attorney’s fees; a client may incur or be liable for other costs or expenses. Use of this site is subject to your agreement to these Terms and Conditions. If you are seeking an attorney in Florida, please read the additional state advertising disclosure. Copyright 2021. All right reserved.