News & opinion Should I Get an Attorney for a Car Accident Claim?

Should I Get an Attorney for a Car Accident Claim?

Car Accident Attorney Man infant of Arrows Deciding
fte c

ccident, you m

y go b

ck

nd fo

th m

ny times

bout

hethe

to hi

e

c

ccident lye

.

hile you m

y not kno

ho

the leg

l p

ocess

o

ks, you might

nt to t

y to figu

e things out on you

o

n

the

th

n p

y

n

tto

ney fo

thei

se

vices. Ho

eve

, the

e is

e

son th

t c

ccident

tto

neys exist,

nd it’s th

t they c

n often g

e

tly imp

ove the outcome of

c

ccident c

se.

hethe

someone else

s

t f

ult fo

you

c

sh o

you need to file

cl

im

ith you

o

n insu

nce, it is

lys

o

th it to discuss ho lye

c

n help you.

discussion

ith

n

tto

ney does NOT me

n you h

ve to hi

e them,

s c

ccident consult

tions should be F

EE

ith NO OBLIG

TION.

Ci

cumst

nces Th

t

nt

n

tto

ney

You

e neve

equi

ed to h

ve the

ep

esent

tion of

c

ccident lye

, ho

eve

, sometimes it m

kes

LOT of sense to do so.

hethe

you

e filing

n insunce cl

im o

pe

son

l inju

y lsuit, you

l

ys h

ve the

ight to

ep

esent you

self. Ho

eve

, this is NOT

l

ys the

ise thing to do. Insunce comp

nies

nd defend

nts’

tto

neys

ill ce

t

inly t

y to t

ke

dv

nt

ge of

n un

ep

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

c

se, you should consult

ith

c

ccident

tto

ney

ight

y.

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>

  • <
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    ef=”https://

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    nell.edu/

    ex

    eggshell_skull_

    ule">Eggshell pl

    intiff >

    ule

  • <
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    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.

c

ccident c

n c

use

ide v

iety of inju

ies. Some

ccident victims

lk

y

ithout

sctch,

hile othe

s need medic

l

ttention. Some people c

n m

ke

n

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

e

n

mbul

nce fo

tnspo

t.

If you suffe

ed

el

tively minond stightfod inju

ies, you m

y h

ve just t

ken some

spi

in fo fe

d

ys

nd got

ight b

ck to no

m

l.

n insunce cl

im should be p

etty simple in this situ

tion,

nd you m

y

nt to t

y to h

ndle the cl

im you

self (

nd c

ll

lye

if it gets complic

ted,

s noted

bove). On the othe

h

nd, if you

inju

ies e mo

e se

ious,

ny

esulting cl

im c

n become mo

e

nd mo

e complex. The highe

you

expenses, the mo

e the insu

e

ill likely t

y to fight you

cl

im. Se

ious inju

ies c

n involve mo

e subst

nti

l d

m

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

l

ted to

pe

son

l inju

y lsuit in civil cou

t. You definitely

nt to h

ve the

dvice

nd

ssist

nce of

c

ccident

tto

ney if you suffe

ed se

ious inju

ies.

The

ccident

esulted in the de

th of

loved one.

hile

se

ious

ccident c

n

lte

you

life, some

ccident victims en’t fo

tun

te enough to su

vive the c

sh. In one ye

in Tex

s, <

h

ef="http:

/ftp.dot.st

te.tx.us

pub/txdot-info/t

f

c

sh_st

tistics

2017/01.pdf”>3,721 pe

sons died<> in tffic cshes,

nd mo

e th

n <

h

ef=”https://c

shst

ts.nhts

.dot.gov/

pi

Public/Vie

Public

tion/812580″>34,400 died >

c

oss the United St

tes. The t

gic

e

lity is th

t you c

n lose

loved one in

c

sh

nytime they e on the

o

d.

hile

n inju

y victim c

n file

pe

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

c

n lk

y

ithout

ny

esponsibility, ho

eve

. St

te l

s

llo

close f

mily membe

s

ho lost

loved one to file

<

h

ef="https:

/st

tutes.c

pitol.tex

s.gov

Docs/CP/htm/CP.71.htm”>

ongful de

th lsuit<>. Ho

eve

, the ls

eg

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

t

nt to seek help f

om

c

ccident lyeho h

ndles cl

ims ising f

om f

t

l

ccidents to ensu

e you

eceive the full compens

tion you dese

ve in

ongful de

th cl

im.

Multiple p

ties

e involved.

M

ny c

ccident c

ses involve multiple pties,

hethe

o

not mo

e th

n t

o vehicles cshed. Fo

ex

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

g

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

l

ith multiple insunce comp

nies

nd lye

s,

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

c

ccident c

se on you

o

n

hen you len the othe

p

ty h

s lye

ed up.

hen the

dve

se pty h

s leg

l

ep

esent

tion, you ce

t

inly

nt you

o

n leg

l

dvoc

te. Pushing fod

ithout

ep

esent

tion is just

sking fo

the defend

nt’s l

ye

to intimid

te you

nd t

ke

dv

nt

ge of you

l

ck of leg

l expe

tise. This is

time you should neve

it to c

ll

lye

.

ll of the

bove

e only some situ

tions in

hich you should get

n

tto

ney fo

you

c

ccident cl

im. Even if you h

ve

el

tively stightfod cl

im, it c

n still be st

essful to de

l

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

ll

l

ye

even fo seemingly simple cl

im. Consult

tions e f

ee, so you h

ve nothing to lose by stting

discussion

ith

l

ye

bout ho

they c

n help.

The follo

ing e only some ys

n

tto

ney c

n

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

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