If you cause a car wreck, or if some other driver plows into your vehicle unexpectedly, then you will need to take some time to sort out the details afterward. You may find this process easy, but other times, it gets complicated in a hurry. For instance, if you are in at at-fault state, then who caused the accident becomes a vital piece of information.
You must think about your insurance policy as well and what it does or does not cover. Each state has different laws in place that govern these matters. For instance, every Florida driver must carry $10K in PIP insurance. However, what if you cause an accident that requires more than that amount to cover the damage?
In this article, we will talk about scenarios where it makes the most sense to hire a lawyer after a car accident. You will not need one every time, but in some cases, it quickly becomes obvious that you’ll require expert advice or legal help.
If you live in a no-fault state, then it doesn’t matter so much who caused the accident, or it shouldn’t matter as much. Whether you can blame the other driver or yourself, your insurance company should willingly pay for the car’s repair bill, or at least up to the full amount of your coverage.
If you bought coverage that won’t cover the full repair amount, then you will probably have to pay the difference to get your car up and running again. You will have no choice in the matter, unless you decide you would prefer to give up driving for the moment and to start using public transportation instead.
If your insurance company refuses to pay for the car’s repair bill, though, and you feel there’s no good reason why not, that’s a time when it makes sense to hire a lawyer who knows about this area of the law. Your lawyer can battle with the insurance company on your behalf.
Hopefully, it doesn’t come to this. However, some unscrupulous insurance companies might look for a technicality to avoid paying for your car’s repairs.
In many cases, you should also be able to have your insurance company cover your lost wages if you have to miss work after a car accident. The policy won’t cover those lost wages forever, but it should give you some time to recover, assuming the crash didn’t permanently injure you.
The policy should also cover doctor bills in most instances. Again, these policies exist partially to get you through the difficult financial times right after a serious car wreck.
If your insurance company says they won’t pay for your medical bills or cover your lost wages because of a technicality, that’s another time when it makes sense to hire a lawyer. The right attorney knows the law, and they can go after your insurance company aggressively and hold them accountable.
You will also probably need to hire a car wreck lawyer if you’re in an at-fault state, and the other driver says they didn’t cause the wreck, even if you feel sure that they did. At-fault states have different rules than no-fault ones. If one driver caused the wreck, the onus of responsibility falls on them to pay for car repairs, doctor bills, and lost wages. It falls on their insurance company as well.
If either the other driver or their insurance company won’t admit the other driver’s culpability, that potentially sets the stage for a contentious legal battle. If you want to win this fight and not be on the hook for those doctor bills, car repair bills, etc., then you absolutely need a lawyer who knows about this area of the law and can fight on your behalf.
If the other driver left the scene of the accident, that is almost automatically a situation where you should hire a car crash lawyer. Leaving an accident scene constitutes a felony in all 50 states. If someone does it, then you can sue them, and you will almost certainly win.
You can’t bring a lawsuit against the other driver without the right lawyer by your side, though. A skilled accident attorney can draw up the paperwork telling the other driver you’re suing them. Your lawyer can then deal with the defendant’s counsel.
Your lawyer may force a settlement offer from the other driver. That’s almost always the outcome in these situations. In the unlikely event that the other driver won’t settle, then your lawyer can argue on your behalf in front of a judge and jury.
If your car wreck involved several vehicles, then you will probably need to hire a lawyer, especially if it’s not immediately clear who caused the accident. Car wrecks and their aftermath often become complicated enough with two cars and drivers involved. With several drivers, things can get considerably worse, especially for a person who doesn’t know all the laws governing these situations.
Your lawyer can defend you if some of the other drivers try to blame you. Even if the facts show you caused the accident, you still need a lawyer to give you advice.
Maybe the accident involved some police cars, a fire truck, an ambulance, or government vehicles. If so, things can become much more complicated.
If you’re looking at a car wreck with any of these elements, having the right car accident lawyer becomes necessary. Without them, you won’t know what steps to take.
Your lawyer can work with a car accident scene reconstructionist to piece together what happened. Only then can you know how to move forward and determine whether you should bring a lawsuit against anyone.
