Should I Get an Attorney for a Car Accident Claim?

fte c

ccident, you m

y go b

nd fo

th m

ny times

bout

hethe

to hi

ccident lye

hile you m

y not kno

the leg

l p

ocess

ks, you might

nt to t

y to figu

e things out on you

the

n p

tto

ney fo

thei

vices. Ho

eve

, the

e is

son th

t c

ccident

tto

neys exist,

nd it’s th

t they c

n often g

tly imp

ove the outcome of

ccident c

se.

hethe

someone else

t f

ult fo

you

sh o

you need to file

ith you

n insu

nce, it is

lys

th it to discuss ho lye

n help you.

discussion

ith

tto

ney does NOT me

n you h

ve to hi

e them,

s c

ccident consult

tions should be F

ith NO OBLIG

TION.

Ci
cumst
nces Th
t
nt
n
tto
ney

You

e neve

equi

ed to h

ve the

esent

tion of

ccident lye

, ho

eve

, sometimes it m

kes

LOT of sense to do so.

hethe

you

e filing

n insunce cl

im o

son

l inju

y lsuit, you

ys h

ve the

ight to

esent you

self. Ho

eve

, this is NOT

ys the

ise thing to do. Insunce comp

nies

nd defend

nts’

tto

neys

ill ce

inly t

y to t

ge of

n un

esented c

ccident victim,

nd they

ill do eve

ything they c

n to intimid

te you

nd get you to

ccept

settlement th

t is f beloh

t you dese

ve. If

ny of the follo

ing ci

cumst

nces exist in you

se, you should consult

ith

ccident

tto

ney

ight

You’
e not su
e
bout youights.<
h3>
Most people h
ve
gene

l ide
of ho
seeking compens
tion
fte

c
ccident
o
ks. Ho
eve
, being su
e
bout
ll of you

ights
nd ho
to p
oceed to exe
cise those
ights is
completely diffe
ent sto
y. Dete
mining youights
s
c
ccident victim involves complex leg
l p
inciples th
t m
y include:

<
h
ef=”https://
.l.co
nell.edu/
ex
negligence”>Negligence ><
li>

<
h
ef=”https://
.l.co
nell.edu/
exesponde
t_supe
io
“>
esponde
t supe
io
><
li>

<
h
ef=”https://st
tutes.c
pitol.tex
s.gov
Docs/CP/htm/CP.33.htm”>Comp
tive negligence<><
li>

<
h
ef=”https://
.l.co
nell.edu/
ex
eggshell_skull_
ule">Eggshell pl
intiff >
ule

<
h
ef=”https://
.l.co
nell.edu/
ex
negligence_pe
_se">Negligence pe
se ><
li>

<
h
ef=”https://txgove
nmentl.o
g/
p-content
uplo
ds
2018/04/05_Sh
unessy.pdf">Sove
eign immunity ><
li>

<
h
ef=”https://
.l.co
nell.edu/
ex
p
epondence">P
eponde

nce of the evidence ><
li>

<
h
ef=”https://
.l.co
nell.edu/
ex
d
m
ges”>D
m
ges ><
li>

If some of the
bove te
ms seem complex—it’s bec
use they e! C
ccident victims m
y kno
th
t someone else s to bl
me fo
the csh, but they m
y not
e
lize the complexity of p
oving li
bility
nd losses in
c
ccident cl
im. The good ne
s is th
t
n expe
ienced c
ccident lyeill be
ble to identify
ny
pplic
ble leg
l issues
nd
dd
ess them p
ope
ly to p
otect you

ights.

The
e e questions
bout f
ult fo
the
ccident.<
h3>
Sometimes, f
ult fo csh is cut
nd d
y. Fo
ex
mple, if you e sitting in
leg
lly pked c
nd
nothe
d
ive
b
cks di
ectly into you
vehicle, it is p
etty obvious th
t the othe
d
ive
s
t f
ult, since you
e
en’t even d
iving! Li
bility is not
lys th
t cle

, ho
eve
—in f
ct, it is often
complex dete
min
tion.

In some c
ses,
n
ccident
ill involve multiple vehicles,
nd ho
do you kno

hich d
ive
s specific
lly to bl
me fo
YOU
inju
ies? Just bec
use one d
ive
initi
ted
ch
in
e
ction csh does not me
n th
t
nothe
d
ive
sn’t
lso negligent
nd
esponsible fo
colliding
ith you
c. In
ddition, you m
y kno
th
t you
e
e likely pti
lly to bl
me fo
the c

sh, but you m
y
lso kno
th
t the othe
d
ive
s MO
E to bl
me. M
ybe they

n

ed light
nd you didn’t see them bec
use you
e
e dist

cted. This doesn’t necess

ily me
n you lose the
ight to compens
tion, it just m
kes you
c
se mo
e complic
ted.

Li
bility dete
min
tions depend on the f
cts of the
ccident
nd
lso st
te l

s
egding comp
tive f
ult
nd st
ict li
bility. You should
lys spe
k
ith
l

ye

ight
y if f
ult fo
youccident is not completely stightfod.

You e confused
bout you
insunce covege.<
h3>
Let’s be honest—insu

nce policies c
n be confusing. These policies involve complex leg
l l
ngu
ge th
t most people don’t
e
d o
unde
st
nd befo
e they pu
ch
se
policy. E
ch <
h
ef="https:
/
.tdi.tex
s.gov/pubs/consume

cb020.html”>st
te
lso h
s its o
n
equi
ements fo

uto insu

nce > policies th
t m
ny d
ive
s don’t fully unde
st
nd. Do you h
ve no-f
ult pe
son
l inju
y p
otection (PIP) insunce? Do you h
ve uninsu
ed o
unde
insu
ed moto
ist (UM
UIM) cove

ge if you
e
e in
csh
ith
n uninsu
ed d
ive
o

hit-
nd-
un?

Too often, people file insu

nce cl
ims
fte

n
ccident expecting to
eceive benefits unde
thei
policy. The insu

nce comp
ny then comes b
ck
nd denies p
yment, cl
iming the
ccident o
specific losses
e
en’t cove
ed unde
th
t specific policy. In o
de
to elimin
te
ny su
p
ises, you should consult
ith
c
ccident
tto
ney
ho c
n
evie
you
policy
nd
dvise you of you

ights to cove

ge in you
specific situ
tion.

You filed
n insunce cl
im
nd the insu
e
is being difficult.<
h3>
Often, you m
y choose to file
n insu

nce cl
im on you
o
n
fte

n
ccident. You unde
st
nd the b
sics of ho
insunce
o
ks—the policyholde
p
ys p
emiums
nd then the comp
ny should p
ovide benefits to cl
im
nts unde
the policy,
ight?
hethe
you e filing
cl
im
ith you
o
n insu

nce comp
ny o
th
t of
n
t-f
ult d
ive
, you
ould be su
p
ised ho
difficult insu
e
s c
n be du
ing the cl
ims p
ocess.

Insu

nce comp
nies
ill often find
ny possible y to limit o
deny
cl
im.
ftell, they e in business to m
ke p
ofits,
nd p
ofits inc
e
se
hen p
youts e limited. Insunce comp
nies c
n use m
ny t
ctics to limit you
settlement offe
, including:

Cl
im you didn’t p
y you
p
emiums o
th
t you
policy h
d l
psed

St
te th
t you
covege doesn’t
pply to this
ccident
nd you
losses<
li>

Question li
bility fo
the
ccident to
educe you
settlement<
li>

Ch
llenge the seve
ity of you
inju
ies
nd
hethe

ll medic
l t
e
tment o
missed
o
k

s necess

y

Offe
you much less th
n you
cl
im is
o
th
nd m
ke it seem like this is you
only option<
li>

Del
y you
cl
im so long th
t you

e
illing to
ccept
ny
mount just to get
check in you
h
nd<
li>

epe
tedly
equest excessive document
tion
nd evidence<
li>

Deny you
cl
im out
ight
ithout

e
son
ble expl
n
tion

hen you
insu

nce comp
ny is being difficult in
ny

y, it is time to c
ll fo
leg
l help. C
ccident victims
ith the
ight
ep
esent
tion often h
ve
much diffe
ent expe
ience th
n un
ep
esented cl
im
nts. Ou

tto
neys knoll of the t
icks of the insu

nce comp
nies,
nd the insu

nce comp
nies knoe
on’t b
ck do
n. This often
esults in the f
ste

nd mo
e f
vo

ble outcome of you
c
ccident insu

nce cl
im.

You suffe
ed se
ious inju
ies.

ccident c

n c

use

ide v

iety of inju

ies. Some

ccident victims

ithout

sctch,

hile othe

s need medic

ttention. Some people c

n m

ppointment

ith thei

genel physici

n to check out thei

inju

ies

nd otheccident victims need to he

d st

ight to the eme

gency

oom o

equi

mbul

nce fo

tnspo

If you suffe

tively minond stightfod inju

ies, you m

y h

ve just t

ken some

spi

in fo fe

nd got

ight b

ck to no

n insunce cl

im should be p

etty simple in this situ

tion,

nd you m

nt to t

y to h

ndle the cl

im you

self (

nd c

lye

if it gets complic

ted,

s noted

bove). On the othe

nd, if you

inju

ies e mo

e se

ious,

esulting cl

im c

n become mo

nd mo

e complex. The highe

you

expenses, the mo

e the insu

ill likely t

y to fight you

im. Se

ious inju

ies c

n involve mo

e subst

nti

l d

ges,

hich c

n include:

Costs of hospit
liz
tion, speci
list
ppointments, su
ge
y, ongoing
eh
bilit
tive the

py,
nd much mo
e
Futu
e medic
l costs if t
e
tment
ill be ongoing<
li>
Physic
l
nd ment
l p
in
nd suffe
ing
Lost income, including futu
e lost income if you still c
nnot
etu
n to
o
k
Pe
m
nent imp
i
ments o
disfigu
ement

The mo

e se

ious you

inju

ies, the highe

the st

kes

ill be,

nd the mo

e difficult the insunce p

ocess c

n become. Often, cl

ims involving se

ious c

ccident inju

ies must be esc

ted to

son

l inju

y lsuit in civil cou

t. You definitely

nt to h

ve the

dvice

ssist

nce of

ccident

tto

ney if you suffe

ed se

ious inju

ies.

The
ccident
esulted in the de
th of
loved one.

hile

ious

ccident c

lte

you

life, some

ccident victims en’t fo

tun

te enough to su

vive the c

sh. In one ye

in Tex

s, <

ef="http:

/ftp.dot.st

te.tx.us

pub/txdot-info/t

sh_st

tistics

2017/01.pdf”>3,721 pe

sons died<> in tffic cshes,

nd mo

e th

n <

ef=”https://c

shst

ts.nhts

.dot.gov/

Public/Vie

Public

tion/812580″>34,400 died >

oss the United St

tes. The t

gic

lity is th

t you c

n lose

loved one in

nytime they e on the

hile

n inju

y victim c

n file

son

l inju

y cl

im to seek compens

tion fo

thei

losses,

dece

sed

ccident victim doesn’t h

ve this s

me oppo

tunity. This doesn’t me

n the

t-f

ult d

ive

n lk

ithout

esponsibility, ho

eve

. St

te l

llo

close f

mily membe

ho lost

loved one to file

ef="https:

/st

tutes.c

pitol.tex

s.gov

Docs/CP/htm/CP.71.htm”>

ongful de

th lsuit<>. Ho

eve

, the ls

ding

ongful de

th cl

ims c

n vy

idely f

om st

te to st

te, including:

ho c
n file
cl
im<
li>
h
t d
m
ges you c
n seek<
li>
Ho
long you h
ve to file
cl
im

It is impo

nt to seek help f

ccident lyeho h

ndles cl

ims ising f

om f

ccidents to ensu

e you

eceive the full compens

tion you dese

ve in

ongful de

th cl

im.

Multiple p

ties

e involved.

ny c

ccident c

ses involve multiple pties,

hethe

not mo

e th

n t

o vehicles cshed. Fo

mple:

If
n on-the-job d
ive
hits you, thei
employe
c
n
lso be held li
ble<
li>
If
n Ube
o
Lyft d
ive
cshes, you m
y h
ve cl
ims
g
inst the individu
l d
ive

nd the
ideshe comp
ny
In
ch
in
e
ction c

sh, multiple d
ive
s m
y she li
bility fo
you
inju
ies<
li>
If
ti
e

s defective
nd c
used the c

sh, you might h
ve cl
ims
g
inst both the ti
e m
nuf
ctu
e

nd the sto
e th
t sold
nd mounted the ti
e fo
you<
li>

These

e only some of m

ny ex

mples of

hen you m

y h

ve cl

ims

inst multiple p

ties. These situ

tions e ext

emely complex, especi

lly

hen one of the p

ties is

lge comp

ny. You

ill need to de

ith multiple insunce comp

nies

nd lye

nd ensu

e you

eceive the compens

tion you dese

ve f

om e

ch cl

im. You

lys nt

n expe

ienced lye

juggling multiple cl

ims on you

beh

lf fo

the best possible outcome.

Othe
pties h
ve leg
l
ep
esent
tion.

You m

y be t

ying to h

ndle

ccident c

se on you

hen you len the othe

ty h

s lye

ed up.

hen the

dve

se pty h

s leg

esent

tion, you ce

inly

nt you

n leg

dvoc

te. Pushing fod

ithout

esent

tion is just

sking fo

the defend

nt’s l

to intimid

te you

nd t

ge of you

ck of leg

l expe

tise. This is

time you should neve

it to c

lye

ll of the

bove

e only some situ

tions in

hich you should get

tto

ney fo

you

ccident cl

im. Even if you h

tively stightfod cl

im, it c

n still be st

essful to de

ith insu

nce

djuste

s o

cou

t p

ocedu

es. These cl

ims e f

ust

ting,

nd you h

ve enough st

ess

s it is

ith you

inju

ies

nd fin

nci

l losses. You should neve

hesit

te to c

even fo seemingly simple cl

im. Consult

tions e f

ee, so you h

ve nothing to lose by stting

discussion

ith

bout ho

they c

n help.

The follo

ing e only some ys

tto

ney c

ssist you:

Communic
ting
ith the insu

nce comp
nies of the li
ble p

ties
Obt
ining evidence of li
bility
nd d
m
ges<
li>
Negoti
ting fo
the settlement you need
nd dese
ve
Negoti
ting
ith lien holde
s<
li>
Dete
mining
hen it’s time to file
pe
son
l inju
y l

suit
H
ndling the litig
tion p
ocess to
e
ch
settlement
g
eement

Cicumst nces Tht nt n ttoney

You suffeed se ious injuies.

The ccident esulted in the de th of loved one.

Multiple p ties e involved.

Othe pties hve leg l ep esenttion.

Testimonials

Read More

Ci
cumst
nces Th
t
nt
n
tto
ney

You suffe
ed se
ious inju
ies.

The
ccident
esulted in the de
th of
loved one.

Multiple p

ties

e involved.

Othe
pties h
ve leg
l
ep
esent
tion.